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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29534868">I've Never Left</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/physalis_28/pseuds/physalis_28'>physalis_28</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hetalia: Axis Powers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Historical Hetalia, Human AU, Ivan is a military officer, Leningrad, M/M, Translation from Chinese, WW2, Yao is a foreign student, historical fiction - Freeform, there are original characters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:33:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29534868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/physalis_28/pseuds/physalis_28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternative Title: Old Stories of the Northern City</p><p>"Leningrad, how can I forget you?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>China/Russia (Hetalia), RoChu - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Preface- Translator's Word</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/762588">北城往事</a> by 千代的爸爸.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Hello!</p><p> </p><p>This work is written in Chinese by the author 千代的爸爸, in 2015. You can read the original story <a href="http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2550956">here:</a></p><p> </p><p>And for those of us who aren't fluent in Chinese reading (understandably), This is Physalis, your translator, who will slow and painfully translate the whole work onto Ao3 with the permission from the original author :)</p><p> </p><p>My goal is to translate one chapter per week; but I am a student, so I beg you to bear with me for possible delays. I will try my hardest to bring the story to you accurately and artfully while balancing my studies.</p><p> </p><p>Before we go on, though, please take a second to read this <strong>important notice</strong>:</p><p> </p><ul>
<li>This work does not have sexual scenes, but it does have detailed descriptions of war and wounds. Please consider to step away if you have a trigger to any of those, or if you are sensitive to descriptions of violence.</li>
<li>My personal advice: don't view it as RoChu centric fanfiction. View it as "WW2 Russia historical fiction with Ivan and Yao as the focus point".</li>
<li>All Translator's Notes will be written in this format: [tn. translator's notes]. Anything not in this format, save this preface you're reading right now, will be a translation of the original author's notes.</li>
</ul><p> </p><p>This is also my first time translating full-length works other than my own, so any comments, feedbacks and discussion are greatly appreciated! They would mean the world to me, so, write as much as you want &gt;&lt;</p><p> </p><p>2021.4.23 update:</p><p>Hello! I have some more news to announce~</p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">My friend recently made an APH China appreciation server!!</span>
</p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Here you can:</span>
</p><ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Simp for Yao shamelessly</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Talk about all the smexy ships </span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Talk about the Chinese language and culture w/ native speaker</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">And make friends with wonderful talented people from around the world!</span></li>
</ul><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170"> <a href="https://discord.gg/g4S3csAzf2">Come join us~!</a> </span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p>If you're okay with all the things written above, enjoy the read!</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wang Yao's new journey starts amidst a Russian snowstorm.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Tolys stomped his foot impatiently. The noise of the train station was like a beetle flapping its wings inside his skull, making him restless and impertinent. The wall clock on the platform pointed to three o'clock, but the expected train was nowhere in sight.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Hey, comrades!" The old man to his side with a cotton hat complained to his poorly dressed companions, "Not even this damned weather can make people quiet! Is this a market?! For shame!"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Tolys stuck his hands into the rigid military uniform and walked a few steps towards the platform, as if eagerly looking forward to someone's arrival- although that was hardly the case. When he finally broke free from the crowd, he remembered the purpose of his coming here. In fact, not such a bad purpose, if it was not under this weather. Alas, why should I go to the train station in a harsh snowstorm to pick up a Chinese man? He thought.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> Yes, a Chinese man.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">When he was in Moscow, Tolys met several Chinese who came to study abroad. no matter tall or short, fat or thin, they all looked as if they forgot to open their eyes. But there is nothing wrong with that- as long as these Chinese comrades make sure their eyes don't freeze amidst the snow.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> While Tolys entertained himself with jokes, the train finally arrived in the station.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The crowd began to shift towards the doors, ready to exchange up and down; the attendant's whistle blew in "puff-puff-puff" sounds, and people almost breathed heat onto each other's faces.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">To show his enthusiasm, Tolys also took a few steps forward, and began to search aimlessly for yellow skin and small eyes.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The clock was pointing to three forty, and the train would only stay at the Leningrad Station for five minutes. Those five minutes have obviously passed. The train whistle blew and the attendants returned to the train.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> "Dammit." Tolys glanced around. "Perhaps he got into the wrong train."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> "Hello!"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> Stiff, accented Russian.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Tolys turned his head, and was slightly surprised by the person standing in front of him. Was it because of his stiff British coat, or the mink fur on his collar, or his big eyes? Tolys couldn't really tell.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Hello!" The Chinese man looked around and saw no other people in military uniforms, so he looked at Tolys with an affirmative expression.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Good afternoon! This is Tolys Andreevich Laurinaitis."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"I am Wang Yao." Wang Yao stretched out his hand, "It is nice to meet you, Comrade Laurinaitis."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Tolys breathed a sigh of relief. Although the intonation of Comrade Wang was terrible, he was already the most fluent in Russian out of all the Chinese he had ever met.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> "Have you studied Russian?"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> "For two years."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> "Oh, your Russian is quite good then!"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"You flatter me; I've been in Germany, so learning Russian is relatively easier."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> It took Tolys another glance at his high-end suit to be convinced."It's too cold here, Comrade Wang; I will escort you on behalf of the Budyonny Military Academy of the Signal Corps. Hey, please give me your luggage, the car is right outside- you know, since I can't drive it in here."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The Chinese may not be proficient in Russian jokes yet, for he did not smile, but only handed the luggage over politely.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The snow made the road of Leningrad wet and slippery, so Tolys adjusted the gear of the car: "Ah, Comrade Wang, the school year will start in September, and the dormitories are already arranged. Though the place where you live has a little distance from us, it is not far away, plus there is a classmate who will live with you; he came only half a month earlier."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao nodded: "Before coming, Professor Viktor Vasilyevich Belyaev and I have already made a phone call. I can't thank the school enough for making special arrangements for me. The road from Yün-Nan to Moscow was almost entirely war zones, which had caused a lot of delays- I apologize for bringing trouble </span> <span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">t</span> <span class="ql-size-10">o the school."</span></p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> "No, no, you're our most honoured guest!"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The tall classical buildings in Leningrad are gradually left behind; Tolys didn't seem to be enthusiastic about introducing the architectures from the Empire. He pointed forward: "Look, our school is right there! That entire area belongs to the campus. Your dormitory is by the river, so you must remember the name of the river- as you can see, Leningrad is full of rivers. The Leningrad State University is on the second street of the Vasilyevsky Island, not very far away; you can take a stroll there in your spare time."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> The snowstorm blurred the distant buildings into a single gray shadow, and Wang Yao failed to distinguish the outline of the "not-so-far-away" Leningrad University. He gave up his efforts and turned his attention to the single three-story building in front of him.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Tolys closed the door and hoisted up the luggage: "Ah, by the way, his name is Ivan Ivanovich Braginsky."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Tolys handed the key to Wang Yao, and was about to use this opportunity to introduce comrade Braginsky, but said Braginsky himself chose this time to appear in the doorway.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Ivan! It's class time, why are you still in the dorm?"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-size-10">The other ignored Tolys' excla</span><span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">mat</span><span class="ql-size-10">i</span><span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">on</span> <span class="ql-size-10"> and only took a brief look at the luggage in </span> <span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">hi</span><span class="ql-size-10">s hand: "I didn't close the door upstairs, and the bed on the outer side is vacant."</span></p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Where are you going?" Tolys turned around with difficulty, carrying the luggage.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Library." The other replied dismissively, after he was already a long way gone.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Comrade Laurinaitis?"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Just call me Tolys." Tolys wanted to divert the awkwardness, "but you should probably still call him Braginsky," He said with a short laugh.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The Chinese seemed to understand the joke this time, and he also smiled, although he was evidently not too interested in the topic of Braginsky. He raised his wrist and looked at the watch: "I am not familiar with the school. —Perhaps I can see Professor Belyaev today?"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Oh, speaking of it, this person is still half my teacher! Tolys thought, while dragging the luggage up the stairs. "Professor Belyaev is our professor in mechanics. He should be free in the afternoon; I can take you to his office later."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it a few times. The door of the dormitory- which was not very old yet- opened without much trouble. The room was not as warm as he expected, at least not warm enough that he could take off his coat.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-size-10">Their room was on the third floor. The spiral staircase was reminiscent of French architecture, but the furnishing was not very polished</span><span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">,</span> <span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">and t</span><span class="ql-size-10">he design of it couldn't have been more standard than any standard university dormitory. The room was relatively large, and the bed closer to the heating radiator was already occupied. </span></p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao took off his gloves and threw it on the "bed on the outer side" that Braginsky described. The two beds are placed side by side, with a small nightstand in the middle. There was a bottle of alcohol on the nightstand, a kind that was not common in Germany; Wang Yao guessed it must be the vodka he heard often. Although the bottle was full, it has obviously been unscrewed.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The end of the bed directly faced the window, and in front of the window was a writing desk for two people. One half was empty, and the other half had neatly placed books on top of it. The room was dry but cold, and as tidy as if there was no one living in it.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Look, this is the bathroom- there's only one in each room. The shower is not big but it is enough. Don't touch this pipe, that's the hot water pipe." Tolys opened the bathroom door and closed it again.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Thank you."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> Sincerely speaking, he was the most enthusiastic Soviet citizen Wang Yao has encountered since he set foot on this land- except, of course, over the dinner table. The friendly young man made sure to tour Wang Yao through the infrastructure before taking him downstairs to the professor he was so insistent upon meeting.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Professor Belyaev's office was much warmer than the dormitory, but the professor's attitude was harder to say.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Hello, young man." Belyaev turned towards them, "Tolys, why are you still here? It's school time, don't mope around. "</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Tolys dared not mutter, but walked out sulkily, closing the door behind him.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"These idiots." Berlaev pulled out a chair for Wang Yao, "You were too polite over the phone. You are my assistant and deserve to be treated as a teacher. You know, the Empire is long gone; now, not every professor has a teaching assistant. Do you think I should thank the socialist system? After all, I was fortunate enough to have met you."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Professor, as long as it doesn't involve a toast to celebrate." Wang Yao took off his coat and sat down.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Oh," Berlaev squinted his eyes. "Maybe it's really worth having a drink; I've received a funny young man. Would you like a drink? Funny man, you know, it is exceedingly hard to find someone with a sense of humour these days."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"I'll be very honoured, as long as it's tea."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"The Soviet Union has tea too." Belyaev took out some tea leaves from his cabinet, poured a cup and handed it to Wang Yao. "I read your resume. You graduated from the Stuttgart Institute of Technology in Germany- oh, no, you haven't graduated yet; I don't recall it being a three-year college."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Because 1937 was not an ordinary year. I learned from the newspaper that Japan had started the invasion of China, so I chose to return."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"For your country?" Belyaev frowned, "What a good reason to give up the most valuable year in Stuttgart. And you were studying mechanics! Why transfer into communications engineering now? You must know that these two are absolutely irrelevant."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Because we want to open this course in the SouthWest Associated University, and I am the most suitable person for the time being."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Your grades in Stuttgart are excellent. I think your professor must be crying for your choice."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-size-10">"Yes, I can hear his crying in China, and now in the Soviet Union it seems that i</span><span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">t</span> <span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">ha</span><span class="ql-size-10">s only </span><span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">got</span><span class="ql-size-10"> louder."</span></p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Belyaev laughed heartily. "My Goodness! I don't regret at all for sharing you my precious tea! Would you like to have another cup, boy? Hahah, what's your name?"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Wang Yao."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Comrade Wang Yao," Belyaev returned to the subject, "Here is the textbook for the course. We don't use the Germans' version- nah, bullshit, because this is the Soviet Union! So you'd need to take a good hard look. But don't worry too much, for we are teaching a bunch of idiots; the one you met just now is one of them. </span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">They aren't students majoring in mechanics, but a bunch of military officers waiting for promotion. The system is only for two years, and after that they will become company commanders or political instructors- which means that after these two years they'll forget everything you've taught. You know this comes from first-hand experience, these idiots. </span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-size-10">We can discuss professional topics as much as you want; just leave me alone on politics, because whenever I talk about it I want to laugh. Alas, why should I laugh? I am a Party member myself. They all say that you are our honoured guest- who knows, but in my eyes you </span> <em class="ql-size-10">are</em> <span class="ql-size-10"> considered an honoured guest. Thus I will spare as much time as possible for you to take your professional courses. Our communication major is very good- bullshit, otherwise we wouldn't be called the </span> <em class="ql-size-10">Academy of the Signal Corps</em> <span class="ql-size-10">! </span></p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">This is neither the University of Moscow nor the University of Leningrad- you damn should study communication engineering here, Comrade Wang, you came to the right place!"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao nodded: "I will remember your words, professor."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">After half a cup of tea, Professor Belyaev hastily ended the conversation between them. "You have to go eat. You are not like me, with a wife waiting at home; the cafeteria won't wait for you. Go, lad, enjoy the food. The soup will probably taste better if you take some engine oil and put it in there- poor lad, I hope you survive."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Well, Professor, I hope I can still be here to see you tomorrow morning."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10"> Belyaev laughed again, put on his hat, and left.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao, who has tasted German black bread, did not think that the red cabbage soup was any bad; at least it wasn't worse off than the soup in the University of Moscow. It was already dark when the last spoon ha</span><span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">d</span> <span class="ql-size-10"> been devoured, and the people in the cafeteria began to rush out; but the blizzard outside the building showed no signs of stopping.</span></p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The snowflakes dimmed the light of the street lamp. Wang Yao wrapped his coat tightly around himself and stepped out of the cafeteria door. </span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">His clothes stood out amongst all the others dressed in the Soviet military uniform, but who cares? Everyone kept their heads down and tried to avoid snow pouring into their noses. No one wanted to stay outside in a November of Leningrad, let alone at night.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Snow buried the roadbed on both sides. Wang Yao moved his legs with difficulty, trying to remember the location of the dormitory. Ah, Tolys said to remember the name of the river- which river was it?</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Alas! Tolys did not say its name at all.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">When Wang Yao raised his head to read the road sign, there were already not many pedestrians around him. While he thought about how to describe his destination, he became all alone.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">He had no choice but to stand still, and think about whether he should go back the way he came. Suddenly, a hand pushed him behind his back.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Ivan?" Wang Yao turned around, but suddenly remembered Tolys' joke, "I mean Bragin-"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The gust of wind seemed to have c</span>
  <span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">o</span>
  <span class="ql-size-10">me specifically for irritating comrade Braginsky. It slammed a mouthful of snow into Wang Yao, shutting him up.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Ivan blocked the passage of the wind. "Did you lose your way?</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"I'm afraid so." Wang Yao tightened his collar, "Excuse me.."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Come with me." Ivan turned around and walked into the blizzard.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao braved the heavy snow and began to trudge after him. In the hollering wind, he couldn't help but silently complain about why the Tsar would draw his sword to settle the capitol here. It must have been summer when he came!</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">It wasn't until Ivan closed the door of the dormitory that Wang Yao breathed a sigh of relief.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Don't take off your coat; the heating in this building is not the best." Ivan stopped Wang Yao's actions and went upstairs.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The inside of the bedroom was strikingly warmer than downstairs.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Do you need help?"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Seeing Wang Yao dragging his luggage, Ivan put down the book in his hand.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Thank you very much."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao began to take out his clothes one by one, hanging them in the closet, while Ivan knelt down and picked up the book in the box: "You read German?"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao nodded.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Can you borrow me this book?" Ivan stacked the books onto the desk.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"'Paul the Puppeteer?' Of course."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Ivan put the book on the nightstand besides the bed, against his liquor bottle. When Wang Yao came out of the bath, Ivan already started reading, sitting on the edge of the bed.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Wang Yao observed the thickness of the pages he turned over: "Your German is very good, Comrade Braginsky."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"My mother is a German professor at the University of Moscow."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Oh, sorry to offend you." Wang Yao sat across from him.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"No," Ivan raised his head, "I didn't mean to show off. I just wanted to say that German is not hard for me since I've learnt it as a child."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">Through the light, Wang Yao saw his violet eyes. Ivan glanced at him and lowered his head to the book again.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Then, can we speak German?" Wang Yao felt that Ivan is not as cold as he was shown to be during the day.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-size-10">This time Ivan did not raise his head. "Didn't you come to the Soviet Union to learn Russian? Although Germany ha</span> <span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">s</span> <span class="ql-size-10"> established diplomatic relations with us, they are not welcome here- and nor is the</span><span class="ql-size-10"> language."</span></p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">There was a moment of silence, and Ivan seemed to realize the awkward atmosphere: “The heating in this house won't allow you to sit and chat with me like this. Well, you'd better lie down. It's not that I can't speak German to you, if you insist so; but as you can see, I have to take a shower. Good night."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">"Good night." Wang Yao carefully laid himself down on his little bed. He discovered shortly after he had crossed the Soviet border that this country has big men but small beds; and one had to maintain a "dignified" sleeping position to sleep peacefully until morning.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10">The long journey has accumulated so much fatigue that the sound of snowstorm against the glass swiftly faded away into peaceful silence for Wang Yao. This was his first night in Leningrad, and neither interesting nor boring people and incidents have yet left a deep impression on him; he only knew that this was another long journey on his own, and one he must persist on no matter how tiring it may be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">[Footnotes]</span>
</p><p class="ql-text-indent-1"> </p><ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">The Stuttgart Institute of Technology was renamed Stuttgart University in 1967. It is one of the oldest technical universities in Germany, and is famous for its mechanical engineering.</span></li>
<li class="">
<span class="ql-size-10 ql-author-58488170">The </span><span class="ql-size-10">Bud</span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">y</span><span class="ql-size-10">on</span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">ny</span><span class="ql-size-10"> Military </span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">A</span><span class="ql-size-10">ca</span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">demy </span><span class="ql-size-10">o</span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">f</span><span class="ql-size-10"> t</span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">he S</span><span class="ql-size-10">i</span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">gn</span><span class="ql-size-10">al </span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">Co</span><span class="ql-size-10">r</span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">p</span><span class="ql-size-10">s</span><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10"> was established in 1919. The school mainly trains Soviet Army signal soldiers, commanders and engineers. Historically, though, the school won't receive this name until 1946.</span>
</li>
<li class="">
<span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">The Lugou Bridge Incident took place in July 7, 1937. </span>[tn. the Lugou Bridge Incident was a battle between the National Revolutionary Army of China and the Imperial Japanese Army, which is generally recognized as the start of the second Sino-Japanese War.]</li>
</ul><ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-10">The Southwest Associated University was established in April 1938, consisting of a number of universities including the National Peking University and National Tsinghua University, which relocated to Kunming because of the war. The school ceased operation on July 31, 1946.</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Paul the Puppeteer (German: Pole Poppenspäler): an 1874 novella by Gernman author Theodor Storm. </span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>[tn. I'm looking for kind souls who can help me with translation nuances- don't worry, you don't need to know Chinese! I will consult the chapters with you before they are uploaded publicly. If you're interested, please send a request to me on discord: physalis.#6760 . thank you so much! &gt;&lt;]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Dawn was nowhere near when the alarm clock rang, but the blizzard finally stopped, and the street was silent. Wang Yao cleaned himself and began to memorize Russian vocabularies. Ivan pulled the lamp, turning it on, and resumed reading the German novel by the bed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Shall we go?" Ivan closed the book in his hand when he saw Wang Yao put down the dictionary.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yes." Wang Yao gave a surprised look, "Thank you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan stretched out his hand to tighten the scarf around Wang Yao's neck before they opened the dormitory door: "Actually, Leningrad is located near the arctic circle. Today's at least twenty degrees below zero."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao accepted this advice and put on his gloves before pushing the door. Unfortunately, the door did not budge.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Let me." Ivan took a step back and kicked the door with all his strength. The iron door made a muffled noise and cracked by a sliver. "Heavy snow buried the door," he said, annoyed but unsurprised.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The poor door received three blows before opening a gap big enough for one person to pass though. As soon as they walked out of the building, the Chinese choked on the biting cold air and sneezed; Ivan, turning around, was amused by his red nose and temporarily lost demeanor. He grinned, even showing a few teeth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The main reason he smiled so openly was because he knew it was dark enough that no one would see it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The two parted ways at the main road of the school, where someone was sweeping the snow. Wang Yao needed to go to the Academic Affairs Office to sign himself in and receive his curriculum. He's the teaching assistant of Professor Belyaev, but also a graduate student in the communications engineering department: after all, he didn't come only to earn teaching assistant subsidies.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The comrade in the Academic Affairs Office was a man with a big nose and black curly hair; he was not tall, but well-built and muscular.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Comrade Wang Yao, due to the special circumstances you're temporarily placed in a separate dormitory; At the beginning of the new semester you can applicate to the school, and we will arrange you to live together with your fellow postgraduates majoring in communications- it will be more convenient both in academics and in daily life. Ah, you're Professor Belyaev's teaching assistant! Here's a word of advice, don't get too close with him. He's no troublemaker, but his stance is not too righteous after all... You are here to learn, do you understand what I mean?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao nodded: "Thank you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Well, you can go meet your tutor in the afternoon. Have you adjusted your time yet? Don't live your life in the Chinese mindset, or you will always be checking your watch and waiting for sunrise! Tomorrow seems to be your first class- although, a class as a student." The comrade of the Office flipped through Wang Yao's curricula. "There, 'Selected Works of Marx-Lenin', have you studied it in China?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I've read the </span>
  <em class="ql-author-58488170">Anti-Dühring </em>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">by Engels."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"</span>
  <em class="ql-author-58488170">Anti-Dühring</em>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170"> is the combined result of Engels and Marx. Go and learn, young Comrade Wang, you will definitely have new insights; your classmates will all be excellent military personnel. You have to know that they are our indestructible cornerstone; you are the teacher in their mechanics course, but in ideological study you are classmates. You are all young; talk to each other." The man looked out the window, "Look, the sun has finally come out. We can have lunch together." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The small middle-aged man took the hat from the hanger, covered his curly hair, and walked out of the office building with Wang Yao. Wang Yao looked at the "rising sun", but found that in fact she did not "rise", but is only dwindling in the horizon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">In the afternoon, Wang Yao saw Tolys again, and he was carrying a stack of textbooks: "Comrade Wang Yao!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Thanks," Wang Yao took over the books from his hand, "I was just going to get it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I just ran into Ivan at the intersection; he picked it up for you. I had nothing important to do, so he asked me to help bring it over." Tolys also picked up a pile and carried it upstairs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What was he up to?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Although he came late, he still has to take the test- he's probably gone to the library again."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I see." Wang Yao picked out the '</span>
  <em class="ql-author-58488170">Selected Works of Marx-Lenin</em>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">' and put it in his satchel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan didn't show up until the evening. "Have you seen your mentor?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao put down the dictionary in his hand: "I have; and also Mr.Lotnikov from the teaching office."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh, by the way, tomorrow's classes will be earlier but I'll be going out for morning exercises. Do you think you can find the classroom?" Ivan was going to boil a pot of water, but as he touched the pot he found that it was already steaming hot. </span>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">He made himself a strong cup of tea: "If you can't find it, I can go downstairs and call Tolys to pick you up."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I've already made clear inquiries about it today." Wang Yao can smell the aroma from Ivan's tea mug. So this is Soviet tea. Black tea?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan put down the mug, sat down in front of the desk, opened his book and closed his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao picked up the dictionary again and turned to the page he was just reading. This city is indeed fit for studying, Wang Yao thought. Here, the nights are endlessly long.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Leningrad was rarely this cold, even in November; the warm currents of the ocean still protected the city. The temperature finally picked up after the snowstorm, and although the snow did not melt, at least Wang Yao's roommate's expression softened ever so slightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao had thought that Ivan did not make any friends yet due to his arrival being later than everyone else; a few days later, he figured out that most of the people in this class knew each other already. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The training requirements for Soviet officers meant that they have already worked in their respective companies for quite a long time after graduating from the military academy; this college program is more like a "training class." Ivan seemed too lazy to socialize with his old acquaintances, and even the friendship between him and Tolys seemed to be solely because they were in the same company, and are likely to continue working together.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">A single class of 'Selected Works of Marx-Lenin' was not enough for Wang Yao to fit in; he sat alone in the last row, head buried in his textbook. The teacher's Caucasian accent made it difficult for him to understand, and he had no options other than staring at the back of Comrade Braginsky's head as an activity of distraction. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">His hair was of a very light colour. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao searched his brain for some Russian adjectives to describe the colour and wrote it down in his notebook. And also-? Yes, purple. Wang Yao looked up the word for "purple" in the dictionary and copied it down. When he finally ran out of interesting colours, Wang Yao temporarily forced himself to forget about the dull writing game and concentrated on the class material.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Spare pen?" Ivan suddenly turned his head back to an idling Wang Yao.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao subtly covered his vocabulary list with the book and handed him a pen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan took the pen, turned back, and thought: It turns out that not everyone who go to the Soviet Union to study is such a fanatic after all. Also- Ivan doodled absent-mindedly on the book with his pen- Is he really twenty-six? He can enter any middle school in Leningrad with his young face. However, his air was usually very mature; it seems that it was a hidden side of him that he saw just now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ivan," Tolys tilted his head over, "What are you smiling at?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Tolys Andreevich Laurinaitis," the teacher with the Caucasian accent tapped on the blackboard with a chalk pen, "Read this paragraph for everyone."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Torres could only stand up awkwardly and began to recite; but he seemed to have quite some insights on Marxist-Leninist philosophy, and the next few questions from the teacher didn't trouble him. The teacher finally nodded, and Tolys sat down with a breath of relief.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">At lunch, Tolys walked out of the classroom dejectedly: "Aw, I hope the teacher won't deduct my mark. Where's Yao? Why don't you invite him to eat with us?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"His afternoon class's in the eastern side." Ivan searched his pocket for the meal ticket.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Wanna play some basketball later?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No, I have to go to the library- lend me your notes." Ivan looked at the gloomy sky, "Winter's really coming, it seems."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Winter really came.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The grass blades that refused to wither were all frozen to pieces, and the water of the river ceased to flow. The rooms in the old dormitory building were leaky, so Ivan took an early leave and blocked the doors of the other rooms on the third floor; but all these efforts did not make their poor room much warmer. The school still hadn't sent workers to overhaul the heating system. Ivan had to find his velvet shoes and wear them even when he was indoors.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You'd better not stay up late, you'll catch a cold." Ivan buried himself in the quilt, and threw his wool jacket over it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ah, hm." Wang Yao mumbled, still scribbling and calculating with his pen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan did not know how to ramble like Tolys; he only pushed the bottle of liquor in front of him closer to the opposite bed, and fell asleep in the blanket.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It was only two days later that he began to regret his action. The Chinese obviously didn't have an exact knowledge of a "Russian winter"; he caught a cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">What's more worrying was that besides sneezing and coughing, he also had dizziness and a headache.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Do you have a fever?" Ivan helped him find a thermometer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao took the thermometer but avoided his hand: "Be careful, you'll get it from me."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Fortunately it was only a low fever, and Wang Yao picked up the book again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'll take notes, you can just copy them when I come back." Ivan felt that the 'Selected Works of Marx-Lenin' class wasn't important anyway, since Wang Yao didn't need to take an exam.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's okay," Wang Yao's cheeks were flushed because of the cold, "If it's not too much trouble, can you go with me after class to the hospital to get some medicine?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Fine," Ivan took the textbook from him, "Do you need a hat?" he put his thickest hat on Wang Yao's head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It was not difficult to see a doctor, and patients were scarce anyway at a Military Academy. The nurse looked at Wang Yao curiously when they were waiting for the medicine: "Hello, are you Chinese? You're a Chinese!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao smiled at her politely, and the young nurse was giddy. "Oh, God, I really met a Chinese person; a Chinese person like a porcelain doll!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"He has a cold, come and get the medicine." Ivan urged coldly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The nurse doesn't pay attention to the tall officer on the side: "You have to take care, Leningrad might be too cold. We also have many people with black hair and black eyes here, but the Mongolians don't resemble you at all. Where are you from? Is it far from Mongolia?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'm from Nanking, China." Wang Yao felt as if his swollen throat was smoking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Here's your medicine- you're still having a fever?" The excited girl examined the doctor's prescription, "I'll give you a few aspirin to help you get rid of it. How many days will you take for your sick leave?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan cut off whatever Wang Yao was going to say with an unquestionable tone: "Three days."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">When they walked out of the hospital, Wang Yao couldn't help but complain. "The next two days are all holidays anyway, there's no need to issue a sick leave."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's windy, don't talk."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao was unable to talk even if he wanted to. When they returned to the dormitory, he retired to his bed as soon as he took the medicine and showered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan studied the structure of the radiator after using the shower, but did not make any effective progress. He had no choice but to dry his hair and get in bed to brew sleepiness. Just as he felt reality blurring away, he heard a soft heave of breath. After a while, there was another one, and then the sound of tossing over. Then, the soft thud of the jacket falling to the floor flew into Ivan's ears.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The alarm clock on the nightstand ticked quietly. After another period of silence, Ivan heard Wang Yao getting up and quickly walking to the bathroom.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao was shortly blinded by the light when he opened the bathroom door. He felt that he couldn't take it anymore; he retched into the sink as soon as he reached its cold edges with his hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao's headache was quickly surpassed by the pain in his stomach. After he had vomited up what little food he ate for dinner, the empty pain covered him in cold sweats.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Water."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao took the cup Ivan handed over. The warm water in the cup somewhat eased the foul taste in his mouth; after rinsing and washing his face, Wang Yao felt a little more clear-headed. "Sorry I woke you up. "</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan touched his ice-cold shoulder: "Let's share a bed."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No need..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan ignored him, leaving him in the slightly warmer bathroom for the time being and went back to the room by himself. He pulled the nightstand out of the way and pushed the beds together.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Go to the inner side."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao's stomach was still cramping violently when he walked back into the room, supporting himself by the wall: "Ah! </span>
  <em class="ql-author-58488170">аспирин</em>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">! She was talking about </span>
  <em class="ql-author-58488170">aspirin</em>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">!" He laughed dryly and curled into the bed. The familiar pain left him feeling helpless.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Is your stomach ill?" Ivan laid the two's quilts on top of each other.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao nodded weakly: "But it's just a stomach ulcer- nothing much."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">In the dizziness, Wang Yao felt the warmth of a human body approaching him. Ivan's hand lightly wrapped around his back, and his chin was gently pressed against his head; the sound of his breathing came from above. Wang Yao thought of his light-coloured hair. It was not a warm colour: not the golden hair of the Germans, nor the light brown of the French. It was a strange colour, only able to be described with Russian words.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan, who has light-coloured hair, was not sure if he could get used to sleeping with someone else in his arms. He remembered the nurse's words- porcelain doll, is he a porcelain doll? Who can answer him? After all, he is not the excited girl, and he himself has not even seen a real "porcelain doll". </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Comrade Ivan, after bickering with the "porcelain doll" for a little while, felt Wang Yao's tense back gradually relaxing, and his body temperature rose slightly from across the shirt. The way Wang Yao laid in his arms was like a cat, albeit much bigger than the one Ivan has raised; nonetheless Ivan felt a lot more natural in this whole situation after he regarded Wang Yao as a cat. He held the Chinese man in his arms, even patting him on the back; His shirt was wet, perhaps from washing his face, so Ivan freed up a hand to unbutton it. The other only complained halfheartedly. When he threw the damp shirt out of the bed, he thought about the structure block of the radiator; unfortunately, the basic mechanics course he took did not offer much help.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan knew that Wang Yao's stomach was still aching, and the little pill that was supposed to help him was doing the opposite. He didn't let go, but pressed the blanket tightly, adjusted his posture until he was comfortable, and fell into a deep sleep.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[Footnotes]</span>
</p>
<ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Russians in particular don't like to smile much; they are somewhat cold on the outside, and in Russian culture smiling frequently can be a sign of insincerity. [tn. of course this is just a harmless stereotype that doesn't apply to everyone ^^]</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Aspirin is a banned drug for patients with stomach problems.</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>[tn. I don't have *that* much schoolwork on my hand right now so I'll try to do this faster ^^ also, it snowed a lot these couple days!<br/>A family friend's kid came over and I had to be super careful that she doesn't see this- being a lonely only kid does have some advantages after all (X]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>[tn. I forgot to state it in chapters before, but all other characters except Ivan and Yao are not completely correlated to the hetalia characters: for example, Tolys is not Lithuanian.]</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Young people don't stay ill for long, so Wang Yao's leave note was not of use after all; and whether or not to be absent doesn't make much of a difference now. Wang Yao's mentor took the other students to do professional projects, but he came too late and had no prior knowledge in communication, so he could only study the materials by himself. His situation was quite similar to Ivan's, except that Wang Yao didn't need to skip class- he could openly enjoy the whole day at the library.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The work as a teaching assistant also did not start officially yet; Belyaev was still teaching his "Principals of Mechanics" by himself, only telling Wang Yao to familiarize with the curriculum. Wang Yao's life is essentially synchronized with Ivan, but both were quiet, thus neither were uncomfortable. Tolys occasionally came over to talk about the topics on the newspaper, and the two would sometimes argue, but Wang Yao doesn't participate. He just liked listening to the tone of Ivan's words. Ivan should be brought up in Leningrad; his has a subtle classic accent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Tolys seems to come from a village near </span>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Khabarovsky</span>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">. Once he finally stopped talking about newspapers, and instead talked about how he and his brother used to saw a special kind of pine tree in the woods to roast meat:</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"The tree has a special kind of oil in it, and it burns very hot. We saw the tree into small bits and bring it back in a wheelbarrow. It was completely dark after we finnished digging the hole, putting the bricks, and wait until the meat marinated in pepper and garlic is fully cooked. </span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It was in September, and the sky was full of stars that you feel like you can touch within arm's range. Sitting by the campfire, eating meat, drinking shots and talking- ah! God, there's no better times than those!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">A smile tinted Ivan's face the whole time Tolys talked about it, but it disappeared when the topic was changed back to the news. Then, he went back to his indifferent composure and mildly denied or agreed with Tolys's views.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Tolys came less often as the final exam drew near. The Soviet Union's exam system was very flexible: there will probably be a few questions for you to randomly draw in each course, and one answers the question one drew- so you'd better study diligently so that you don't get a zero. Both Ivan and Tolys come from the armored squadron; If they can't get a decent mark in mechanics, they'll certainly be laughed at. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao sometimes glanced over the books on Ivan's desk. In the past few days, the books on mechanical principles covered the numerously scattered combat and battle theories textbooks, earning its position on the top. Looking at the notes he made, the test should be no problem for him, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The weather in January was already freezing cold. Whenever it snows the night before, Ivan would have to take on the mission of kicking open the door the next morning. Today Wang Yao wasted some time, so he collected the books panickily and prepared himself to be complained at for being late.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Hey—" Wang Yao ran down the spiral staircase while buttoning on his gloves. The hall was quiet. Wang Yao finished buttoning, raised his head and saw Ivan standing motionlessly, facing the door. "You..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It seems that a visitor came, although the time was still early. When Wang Yao reached the gate, the visitor had already left, and Ivan was holding a letter in his hand. The thick bundle of paper was overloaded with handwriting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Tell the professor I'll be absent." Ivan crunched the letter into his pocket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Today's the last principles of mechanics class in this semester!" Wang Yao said, surprised.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Tell him I'll be absent." Ivan's tone did not change as he turned back and walked upstairs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao stood silently for a moment, walked out of the dormitory, and closed the iron doors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Professor Belyaev did not seem surprised at Ivan's absence. "The curricula plan is on the table, you can study it in the office after you take attendance, but kindly stay and wait for me after class," He told Wang Yao calmly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The noisy students eventually quieted down as Wang Yao walked into the classroom. He began to roll out the names as if doing reading exercises. When Belyaev stepped up the teacher's desk, the sound of turning pages drowned out any whispers of conversation. Wang Yao returned to the office with the name form and marked a leave sign behind the name "Ivan Ivanovich Braginsky".</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">After class, Belyaev not only returned by himself, but also brought Tolys who had a sad look on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You should go together." Belyaev looked briefly at Wang Yao, "It seems that his father wrote to him again. Who knows?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">After the two left, Belyaev looked at the name on the naming form and sighed airily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Don't you shovel the snow?" Walking towards the dormitory, Tolys saw that the door was still buried in snow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh, sorry, Braginsky has been dealing with it all the time- please wait a second," Wang Yao looked around for the shovel Ivan usually uses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No, no, let's go see Ivan first." Tolys interrupted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao didn't quite understand why Tolys' tone was so serious until he opened the door of the dormitory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ivan!" Tolys tossed the schoolbag to Wang Yao and rushed in angrily. "Get up, you got drunk again!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan may be drunk indeed; Wang Yao observed that the bottle of liquor he was holding was empty to the bottom. The lobby on the ground floor of the dormitory was empty except for a sofa next to the telephone stand, and that was where Ivan sat: on the old sofa, head lowered and sluggishly holding on to the bottle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Stop drinking." Tolys went to grab it from his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan, who seemed as drunk as one could be, suddenly opened his eyes: "Go away!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Why are you lamenting yourself for these things? Can you solve the problem by getting yourself drunk like this? What's the problem anyways? Aren't you studying in school now? Sure, you're two months late, but aren't you on the right track now? Can't you just face your problems with a positive attitude?" Tolys began pouring questions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Stop blabbering," Ivan said coldly, drunk but oddly calm, "Stop being noisy and get out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Get out! Comrade Ivan, you told me to get out?!" Tolys raised the volume of his voice: "You do this every time! Comrade Ivan! To be honest, I'm fed up with your temper! I came because I'm worried, and you told me to get out! Do you even think of me as a friend? Or rather, who'd you consider your friend?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I have no friends," Ivan emptied the last sip of alcohol in the bottle. "Bring me another one."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan did not hear clearly what Tolys said afterwards. The fuzzy feeling was just what he wanted. He squinted his eyes and read the words on the bottle carefully: "Smirnov".</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Tolys, who are you kidding by saying these things? Go away!" Ivan took the bottle from the other without lifting his head, "Why are you still here?! ...Oh...you're Yao."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao handed the unscrewed vodka bottle to him: "Tolys is gone."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Tolys is gone?" Ivan raised his head to check, "Close the door quickly, he always regrets leaving as soon as he has left. He's still impatient, not a qualified political instructor- fortunately! Close the door quickly."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao stood up and went to close the door. Ivan looked at his new wine bottle, which still read "Smirnov".</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No one the fuck would believe the Soviet Union still has real Smirnov vodka! Who are you kidding?" Ivan took a big gulp, "Wang, do you know where you can find real Smirnov vodka?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Sitting on the steps, Wang Yao looked at his drunken composure and shook his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's fucking America!" Ivan raised the bottle above his head, "Everyone who knew the recipe was banished and killed. Do you know Sergei Kirov? No one knows if he's a victim or murderer, not even this bottle of vodka— because although its name is Smirnov, it is indeed an imposter. Who should I hate? Those who knew the recipe but died? Those who fled to America? Or rather to hate this bottle of vodka?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I took two down, here's another bottle."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yes! There were already two Purges! Oh, God, I was only nineteen in 1934! Why should I surrender to despair like that rotten old wretch? Will it come again, only two years later? More absolute, more frenzied, until I crumble? Tolys, you always question me for not being firm enough in my beliefs- what have you experienced? Whereby dare you question me?!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'm Yao, not Tolys. He left."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's the year 1939 now, is it happening again?" Ivan looked up at the ceiling, filling himself up with alcohol, "What after getting a diploma? It's like how they abolished serfdom in 1861- You think you're free, but you've no idea what to do next."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan dropped his hand and the empty bottle bounced off the floor, resonating with the deafening ring in his ears. He didn't realize that his tears had been wiped off until he felt cold fingers tidy stray hair from his forehead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yao?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The dizziness became less intense, and Ivan began to realize what he had just said. He was not exactly sure that he's drunk. Although he didn't drink often, it was indeed different from the few times before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">What did I say? "The Purge"? "Sergei Kirov"?</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan shut his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Seeing that he was finally quiet, Wang Yao straightened the vodka bottle from the ground, carried the blanket down from upstairs and tucked him in it. After confirming that the slumbering man was well taken care of, Wang Yao walked out gently and closed the door behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan didn't sleep soundly; not because of the blanket, nor because of the sofa, nor because of other reasons. Ivan checked his watch as he opened his eyes. Two o'clock in the afternoon. He began to contemplate if he had been drunk after all- unless it was two o'clock the next day! Ivan stormed up the third floor into the dormitory and slammed open the bathroom door with a cranky temper.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Wang Yao?!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao was holding a wrench in his hand: "I'm fixing the radiator, do you want to use the toilet?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Although the sentence was a question, Wang Yao left the room without further delays. He thought of the "What do you think?!" expression on Ivan's face and couldn't hold back a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Are you busy?" Wang Yao asked Ivan, when he came out of the toilet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Then please lend me a hand," Wang Yao put down the tool in his hand, "A heating pipe is blocked but I just cleared it. The radiator may have to deflate, you might need to help me for that."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan rubbed his nose awkwardly and did what he was told.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Press here, not the valve inside but the one above." Wang Yao pointed at the small valve.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Is there something wrong with the vodka you gave me?" Ivan asked, after thinking for a long time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I took it from your cupboard," Wang Yao freed a hand and pointed to Ivan's cupboard, "but I poured out half a bottle and filled it with water."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Splash!</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan almost choked on his own saliva. He was just about to lose his temper, but was startled by the sudden gush of hot water and gases from the radiator.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I may have accidentally emptied most of the second bottle." Wang Yao recalled matter-of-factly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I really have to thank you, huh!" Ivan tightened the valve and stood up abruptly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No need," Wang Yao smiled at Ivan's angry face, "At least you won't have to smell like rubbing alcohol from head to toe. After all today's your twenty-fourth birthday; happy birthday, classmate Braginsky."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Leningrad in winter never showed real brightness. As Wang Yao had said, the sun does not rise at all, but only dwindles and hesitates in the horizon. She is always cold, gloomy, and foreboding; But from now on, at least this room could become warm, inviting...open-armed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You...just call me Ivan."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Happy birthday, Ivan."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">After dinner, the two walked back together from the cafeteria. Ivan was holding the flashlight while Wang Yao followed him behind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Sorry, I shouldn't have said those to you today."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Why do you apologize to me?" Wang Yao was a little surprised at Ivan's sudden confession.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I don't deny that the Communist Party brought new life into the Soviet Union; at least this land has never flourished like now. I know what you're looking for to come here from China, so I hope you can forget what I said. There were bad emotions in it...and incorrect understandings."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ivan, why should you be afraid of questioning and denials? Although I am similar in age as you, but my position is equal to that of your father's generation for our motherlands. Yes, we are pioneers, and maybe in your eyes we are great; but greatness is not necessarily the righteous. I am prepared to be questioned and denied by our future generations, so your attitude neither surprises nor disgusts me. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Didn't Karl Marx say that there is no absolute truth? The great one is not the Communist Party but the Communist people; the people who make up the Party. It's because of the people that the political Party can progress towards the truth; you and I are such people. The world created by pioneers are destined to be imperfect. Criticism is not the goal, but an indispensable process. Thus you did not shake me, and you have no need to apologize."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"May I ask?" Ivan stopped walking, "In my knowledge, China doesn't only have one political party. Why did you choose the Communist one?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Because China is a prideful country, and we must use harsh methods to regain our pride." Wang Yao looked at Ivan's back, "The compromising political attitude cannot work under current international relations. If China cannot regain its dignity, all my efforts will become meaningless."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Communism to you is not a faith, but merely a tool?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"良知之外更无知，致知之外更无学…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. A quote from a Ming Dynasty philosophy system. A non-literal translation would be "morale is in the pursue of morals, and knowledge is in the pursue of knowledge".]</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Pardon?" Ivan turned around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What I mean is... Do you think a nation of five thousand years would not know what faith is?" Wang Yao took a step forward, "The road to seeking faith and the road to seeking the dignity of the country are inseparable. The essence of Marxism is liberation, so I follow him, and become his believer. But I don't think I am inferior; I am equal to him. For him, I am a latecomer. When he is not enough to liberate everything, I will question him, deny him, and liberate his own being."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I've never heard of your interesting speech before." Ivan turned off the flashlight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"The free serf may not know where he should go, but he is free after all, isn't he?" Wang Yao smiled and spread out his hands, "Well... he's gotta figure something out for himself."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Does blackness shine light? Braginsky thought: Maybe the answer isn't negative. He didn't ask any more questions for the rest of the road. He thought about some random things, maybe even Yao. He allowed himself to smile occasionally- it was so dark, no one would see it anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Back in the bedroom, Ivan took off his coat: Tte warm room was a surprising delight. "Don't I have a birthday present?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I fixed your heating pipe. Is that not good enough?" Wang Yao said smugly. He was very satisfied with his work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"But this is also your heating pipe."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I fixed your part together with mine."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ha, should I take a drink to thank you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Sure- but the bottle you took is also mixed with water, and it's the last one you have."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan awkwardly looked at the vodka bottle. The unscrewed cap showed that Wang Yao was indeed not lying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What are you doing?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Well, we can separate our beds now that the heating's fixed, right?" Wang Yao measured the structure of the iron beds by eye, but it was even heavier to lift than he imagined. "What's wrong?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh, nothing." Ivan paused for a second and came over to help.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Seeing the layout of the room return to its original fashion, Ivan felt a strange twinge of emptiness. He wasn't sure if it was just an illusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[Footnotes]</span>
</p><ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">The Great Purge, or the Great Terror, is a repression movement lead by Stalin in 1934. The muder of Sergei Kirov was the event that commenced it.</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">The Smirnov vodka is the most authentic vodka in Russia; however it was almost destroyed during the Purge. In Ivan's era one can still buy the vodka in the USSR, but the authentic recipe and factory was indeed in America.</span></li>
</ul><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>[tn. I wanna share a comment under the original story lol</p><p>"I heard the modern vodka recipe is created by Mendeleev, you know, the guy who invented the periodic table"</p><p>Author's reply: "Actually I don't even know why vodka needs a recipe... it just tastes like medical alcohol (Ivan: ......)"</p><p>p.s. I promise this is the only communism essay in this fic :D look forward to mega fluff next chapter!</p><p>p.p.s. Happy March! It's spring &gt;&lt; although it still snowed yesterday- where I live snow usually doesn't go away until the start of April.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The tense final exams finally came to an end at the end of January; the winter holiday started and the campus quickly became empty. Wang Yao met with his tutor a second time. The tutor tried his best to arrange him into the subject, but it was still too difficult for Wang Yao, since he didn't have any foundations in the field of study; "I can relax and finish studying the basic courses first and other things can go later", Wang Yao comforted himself. Fortunately, two of his classmates are staying in the school; he can ask them for questions he didn't understand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave either. He saw another couple of classmates off after Tolys, who left at the start of the vacation, but he himself stayed in the dormitory matter-of-factly without even packing his luggage.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">For three days in a row, only the sound of clock ticking can be heard in the room. Wang Yao sat at the table and read. Sometimes Ivan was read too; sometimes he propped up against the window and idly stared at who-knows-what.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan was very content with his current lifestyle. He enjoyed this kind of life: cafeteria-dorm-cafeteria-dorm, like a turning hourglass.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">One afternoon, Wang Yao didn't return to his desk after he'd eaten. He put on his coat again and took his hat in his hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Where are you going?" Ivan asked, lying on the bed holding a book.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'm going to the city."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"To the city?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yeah, it's time to cut my hair." Wang Yao put on his hat and pulled out his gloves from under Ivan's belly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Is your hair too long? How come I don't notice?" Ivan sat up curiously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Because I tied it up!" Wang Yao pointed at the back of his hat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan closed the book he hadn't started and stood up: “How long was it since you last cut it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"From the time I set foot on the land of the Soviet Union." Wang Yao sighed, "It's really embarrassing."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Well, if you don't have a guide, the barber in Leningrad will make you even more embarrassed."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Hmm?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You could've just asked me to go with you," Ivan took down his coat, "You know, I've lived in this city since I was born- and you might not even find the bus and subway stations if you go by yourself."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"That's true...thank you." Wang Yao felt that this was an excuse for the other to go shopping, but he didn't seem to have a reason to expose his scheme. After all, the name of the barbershop that Torres wrote him was really too vague.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">February was the coldest time in Leningrad, and the two waited for the bus in the station opposite the school gate. Thankfully, a mud-spotted bus came into the station before they completely froze to icicles. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"See, if it wasn't for me to wave the bus would never stop, because the students had already gone, and the driver wouldn't notice you if you didn't wave."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Lad, I've noticed you fine; your fashionable hat is as effective as a lantern." The driver cracked a Russian-styled joke, "My only two passengers, where are you going? "</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Nevsky Prospect."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The driver cranked his head back to take a look at Wang Yao, "Are you a foreigner? The way you roll your tongue is really something to fear."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ah, Comrade Driver, I've already given up. The pronunciation of Russian is just too difficult." Wang Yao shook his head helplessly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"That's because you still don't have love for the Soviet Union- but aren't you going to the Nevsky Prospect? You'll fall in love with it as soon as you went there. If you want to practise your pronunciation, I think your friend here would be more than willing to teach you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I won't stop until you've learnt it." Ivan pronounced it again deliberately, "Невский проспект (Nevsky Prospect)."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">There's no way Wang Yao's going to learn to pronounce a Russian street name on a bus. He suppressed a smile and turned his face towards the window.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The bus station was very close to the metro, but the metro station was still some distance away from the Nevsky Prospect itself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"The barber shop is at the entrance of the Prospect. When I was young, my family often took me across the street to get a haircut here." Ivan pointed to the buildings of the same height in the distance, "It'll only be a quarter of an hour's walk away."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It was already dark at three in the afternoon. Fortunately, there was no strong wind or snow and the swept streets were very tidy. The street was relatively deserted due to it not being any holiday, and the street lamps reflected the lovely lit buildings of Leningrad.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"There'll be the White Night Festival in summer and the folding bridge will open at midnight- Yao, you must prepare a sleepless night for me to take you here! I've watched it for years on end and never grew bored of it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao only looked at him and smiled, thinking that maybe the dorms would be rearranged when the school year starts again. And Ivan Braginsky, like those before him, will fade into a somber, dim, uncertain silhouette... </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Wait." Ivan suddenly paused his steps, "Come- Hey, come here."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao was dragged into a small store by him, still not quite back from his idle thoughts: "What? Why?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I didn't notice there was a photo studio here before!" Ivan took off his coat and put it on the hanger by the door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The owner of the photograph studio was a typical Russian man with an icy cold expression: "Because this is newly opened, comrade."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Can you take a portrait photo?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yes. Would you like a gray, green, or brown photo? You can come pick it up a week later."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan nudged Wang Yao: "Come and take a picture!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Why?" Wang Yao slightly scrunched his eyebrows, "Let's find the barber shop as soon as we can. We've wasted too much time outside today!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The photographer was getting impatient, holding the camera and flicking the reel: "Comrade, please decide quickly."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Okay!" Ivan had already stripped off Wang Yao's coat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao sighed and said, "But why?" But he was already pushed into the photo room by the younger man.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Please sit here." The photographer pointed to the chair in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao had no choice but to sit down; the photographer adjusted the lighting and held up the camera.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Wait!" Ivan shouted suddenly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What else, comrade!" The photographer felt his patience being challenged again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan walked over quickly, held the hair tied up behind Wang Yao's head, placed it on the left shoulder, looked at it, switched it to the right shoulder, looked at it again, and placed it back onto the left shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Okay, now you can shoot."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The photographer pressed the shutter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Comrade! You didn't even tell him to smile?!" Ivan expressed his surprise and dissatisfaction with the photographer's speed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The man didn't answer him, but pointed to the awards on the wall, and walked out of the room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">When Wang Yao came out, Ivan had already paid and was struggling with choosing the color of the photo.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Just let the comrade here decide." Wang Yao took the change, stuffed it into Ivan's pocket and dragged him away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yao," Ivan caught up with him, "Don't you want to leave some memories in Leningrad?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"But I haven't finished reading my basic course book," Wang Yao didn't slow down, "The professor will be back in ten days."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh, you went too far! Yao!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The stores in Leningrad may have unobtrusive signs and doors, but behind the doors they are spacious and grand. After sitting down, the barber untied Wang Yao's hair and fell into thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What's the matter, comrade, is there something wrong?" Wang Yao turned his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Don't be in such a hurry, the world doesn't end tomorrow." The barber answered Wang Yao in a serious tone, and said to Ivan, "Your friend is really an impetuous young man."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan nodded in agreement. "I also wanted to stop by the Eliseyev Shop after; please help me convince him."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Well, if you don't even have time to visit a food store, then I think the best hairstyle for you is a bald head." The barber put down the scissors and picked up the shaver.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh!" Wang Yao was finally amused, "I give up- please give me a haircut worthy of that shop."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Very well! I always thought Orientals don't have a sense of humor." The barber cut the first snip.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"He's got a sense of humor alright, but not rolled 'R' s." Ivan picked up a magazine casually.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao saw him hiding his smile behind the magazine from the mirror, and the wall clock behind him was already pointed to 4:30. The darkness outside the windows was as if midnight. Wang Yao closed his eyes slightly, recalling the past, and suddenly felt a little regretful that too many people and things were forgotten- lost in the river of time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">When walking out of the barber shop, Ivan felt Wang Yao's pace slow down: "Are you tired?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No," Wang Yao gazed at the Nevsky Prospect in front of him, "I was thinking about my childhood."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Nanking? Was the city where you grew up in called Nanking?" Ivan wondered what made him suddenly forget the textbook and the professor.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yes. Just like Leningrad, there's also a big river running through my hometown [tn. the Yangtze river]- it's a lot warmer though." Wang Yao looked at the Neva River across the street, "Well, let's go to that shop you wanted to visit."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The shop had indeed a well-deserved reputation to be so fondly remembered even by someone in his twenties. The decoration on the window was charming, and walking in was like entering a shrunken palace. One can imagine how attractive this place is for children.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What did you like to eat most when you were a kid?" Wang Yao looked at all the kinds of cakes and pastries in front of him and felt something warm in his heart.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I liked to have one each of all of those."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao ignored him and pointed at the cherry cake: "Comrade, please help me get two pieces of this."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan was surprised: "How did you know I like cherry cakes?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No, it's just that </span>
  <em class="ql-author-58488170">I</em>
  <span class="ql-author-58488170"> like them." Wang Yao teased him deliberately.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ah." Ivan took the cake from the waitress, a little disappointed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The waitress was a blond, middle-aged lady. She winked at Ivan, "I think it's because you stared at it as soon as you entered the shop. Anyone can tell that cherry cake's your favourite, young man."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Well," Ivan, shrugged, "Next time I must know how to hide myself."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Hide it well, but don't forget that one of the slices is mine." Wang Yao tightened his coat and pushed open the door of the mall.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Next door to the Eliseyev Shop was a small stationery. Wang Yao followed Ivan in, silently allowing today to be a sinful break.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"This notebook suits you well, Yao." Ivan grabbed a dark red leather notebook with classical gold edges rolled on the cover. "These kind of small notebooks is great for writing vocabulary."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'll pass," Wang Yao saw the price of the notebook, "It's too expensive!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Because this is a special craft, comrade," there were not much customers in the store and the clerk came over to them. "This notebook won't be broken after a hundred years, and the outer skin is a special tanned cowhide that will never fade. "</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's been a long time since anyone asked me out to coffee." Ivan handed the notebook to the clerk and asked him to wrap it up. "Mr.Wang, would you buy me coffee later?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Classmate Braginsky," Wang Yao took the notebook wrapped by the clerk, "You're not suggesting the Literaturnoye Kafe to me, are you?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The Literaturnoye Kafe was possibly the only place full of people on Nevsky Prospect today; it seems that Pushkin is indeed the favorite author of the Soviet Union. The two waited for a while to get their seats. The café was not much different from Wang Yao's perception of it: it seems that there was also dinner served besides desserts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's been ten years since the last time I came to Nevsky Prospect," Ivan looked at the pedestrians who occasionally walked pass the window. "And this is actually my first time coming to this cafe. My home is right here, at the end of this street, where the Leningrad State University is. My father was a soldier, and my mother was teaching in the university at the time. We lived in the teaching staff dormitory; you only need to cross a bridge to get here."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It was already time for dinner, and the piano in the lobby began to play. Wang Yao stirred the coffee in the cup: "I was wondering, why don't you go back to Moscow? You have a whole month of holiday."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan turned his gaze back from the street: "There's no one in the house in Moscow. My older sister's health is very bad, and they go with her to the south every winter."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">You can go to the south with them, Wang Yao thought, but he knew it must be a stupid question so he didn't ask.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"So your sister... has she been in poor health since she was a child?" Wang Yao asked very carefully.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"My sister is ten years older than me; when I was fourteen, she was twenty-four years old, just as old as I am now. My father insisted on a job at the farm for her. That year ruined her health so much that she has to suffer for the rest of her life. Before she was twenty-four, Anya would take me to visit Nevsky Avenue during her days off- we would go to the food store to buy sweets, and sometimes she would go take a photo with me. But after that, all of this...vanished."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"......"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"......"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ivan."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yes?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'm sorry, I'm the only child so I may not know your feelings right now. But... when I was buying you the cake, I really had a sense of being a big brother." Wang Yao handed him the menu.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Wang Yao! Mister! Yao!!" Ivan covered his face with his hands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What's the matter?" Wang Yao looked at him, eyes crooking with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"My feelings right now is very similar to what I felt when you told me you poured water into my vodka." Ivan peeked at the him through his fingers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Well, just like the Germans, Russian food doesn't seem to have a lot of vegetable dishes." Wang Yao pointed to the menu, "If you're ten years old right now, which dishes would you like?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I would definitely not like that pickles dish you're pointing at." Ivan finally took the menu. "If I were ten."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Hah, even twenty-six years old me don't want to order that."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Then I'll order the pickles."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Маринованные огурчики (pickled cucumbers), is my tongue more flexible than before?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"The rolled "р" is wrong again."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">......</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan couldn't remember their conversations after that; it probably wasn't even about literature, but his bad mood disappeared without him being aware of it. Are Russian people gloomy? Sometimes he would ask himself. Are they really different from the rest of the world? Sometimes he kept asking himself that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">What about Chinese people? Wang Yao spoke German, Wang Yao spoke Russian, but he was Chinese from head to toe. Although he was the only Chinese person Ivan had ever met, he was almost convinced that this is exactly how they are like: not optimistic, nor straightforward, but with a kind of tender durability that prompts one's heart to beat in a different manner.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The sky was especially clear, and the dark night foiled the stars to make them seem even brighter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"The Milky Way!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Hearing Wang Yao's exclamation, Ivan stopped and looked back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">He was enveloped in dim light of the street lamp, and the silence made one forget that he is in a street. Wang Yao raised his head and looked at the splattered stars in the sky: "Isn't it snowing a little?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The small snowflakes glowed softly under the light, as if the stars on the edge of the sky were falling down to the ground.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">He saw him raising his hands, trying to keep them between his fingers, as if it was a precious thing, or a nostalgic emotion.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">A thought flashed in Ivan's mind. It was not Pushkin but Dostoevsky—"It was a marvelous night, dear, the sort of night one only experiences when one is young."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[Footnotes]</span>
</p>
<ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Nevsky Prospect was built in 1710, the most famous avenue in Leningrad (St. Petersburg).</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">The Eliseyev Shop was opened in 1901; the romantic thing is she's still there today.</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Cherry cakes and Black Forest cakes are famous German desserts.</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">The Literaturnoye Kafe (Literary Café) was a shop Pushkin frequented; it was also his last stop before going to a duel. The cultural importance was much bigger than the coffee itself.</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">"It was a marvelous night..." quoted from Dostoevsky's <em>White Nights</em>. [tn. In the book, instead of "dear", it was "dear reader"; here it's moderated for the context.]</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello! Sorry for the late update &gt;&lt;</p>
<p>It's almost spring now! Can't quite imagine translating this winter-y work in warm weather xdd<br/>I'm gonna have to go outside and meet people tomorrow for the first time in 100 years, so that'll be...fun...</p>
<p>Stay safe and healthy! As always comments are really appreciated, and leave a bookmark if you want to read more~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">As the new term began, Wang Yao finally became more like a student. The mentor was very happy with his self-learning ability and hardworking attitude. While integrating into the course, he finally began to touch on the special projects; the busy schedule made him feel fulfilled, and even the northern city seemed to be less depressing as the days became longer and longer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Tolys loves summer as passionately as all citizens of the Soviet Union, and basketball was his main way to express it. He wanted to invite everyone to participate in the important activity, including Wang Yao, but his classmates felt it was inappropriate: "He's also our basic courses teacher!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Indeed, since Wang Yao taught the second volume of Mechanical Principles, no one except Tolys really saw him as a classmate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"And he doesn't like playing basketball anyway." Ivan shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Is his favorite sport chess?" Someone joked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Maybe," Ivan was the centre and he scooped up the ball, "Tolys! You can go be the referee if you mope around any longer."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Everyone laughed, and ran after the ball as it drew an arc through the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Poor idiots." Professor Belyaev leaned in front of the window lazily and gazed at the playground, "Playing so happily even though the school doesn't have any girls- such poor idiots."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Professor, there must've been many girls cheering for you back then?" Wang Yao looked up from his lesson plan and smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh, Yao, your guess is terribly wrong. The girls from Leningrad University will only cheer for a young man like Ivan; They won't be interested in a nerd with glasses like me in a hundred years."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Professor! Your self mockery makes one shudder!" Wang Yao shook his head, "But you seem to be well acquainted with classmate Ivan?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"His mother and I both used to teach at Leningrad University- oh, Yao, your expression makes one shudder more! It's not a strange thing that a German professor will know a mechanics professor. Well, maybe it is; that was because our parents were also colleagues. We grew up together, in the teacher's dormitory where Ivan also grew up in. It's a strange thing: his father's hair and eyes are both black, just like yours, but he inherited his mother's looks more. He looks exactly like her."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"His father is a soldier?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Belyaev let out a breath from his nostrils: "A literate Cossack idiot."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Cossack? He is not from the Soviet Union?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Dear, of course the Cossacks are Soviets, and the most Soviet out of the Soviets. You must know, the school you are in is named after a Cossack man. Is there anyone more Soviet than General Budyonny? Cossack is a region famous for its cavalries, and the old Ivan is one of them. That's all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No wonder he let Ivan continue a career in the military." The portrait of General Budyonny appeared in Wang Yao's mind and he was secretly startled by the image.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Do you think it's a good choice?" Belayev raised his eyebrows disdainfully, "Ivan is different from him. He was born in Leningrad, not a village by the Don; his maternal grandfather's family was well educated, and they could've very well made him an excellent university professor. But his father, he insisted on sending him off to be a soldier after graduating from secondary school! You don't know how excellent his graduation grades were! He thought that his regimental commander status would still pay off for his son, huh? It is a pity that he has forgotten how he's been treated in the army these years- he'd long been exiled to Siberia if it's not that he's so stupid that he can't even speak clearly! He chose the wrong life for Ivan, and his whole family's destroyed by him." </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Belyaev suddenly began to ramble non-stop, "He would not go to Siberia himself so he sent his daughter there, poor girl, lost her fiancé because of it and became ill. Is this the so-called wisdom drawn from labour? This is how cruel life is. And only a few years later Old Ivan's guilt disappeared and only thought of his daughter as a cumbrance. It was obviously his own fault but he always found excuses to blame his family; I know every word he'd rattle in the letters to Ivan even though I haven't took one glance at them. He wants to complain about his political problems, but who can Ivan complain to? Complain that his incompetent father made him almost fail the political investigation so that he almost couldn't attend school?! Yet this all comes down to the choice of a woman- women are indeed weird creatures."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. Political investigation, I don't know the exact translation of it; it's an investigation of one's political background when entering the government, militaries or Party, etc.]</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Well...sometimes girls just prefer men in military uniforms," Wang Yao felt that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, "It's always that way in French novels."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Belyaev was speechless for a brief while. He recalled the first time he saw old Ivan: the heroic cavalry, a proud smile on his face, with gleaming black eyes and gleaming military medals. Yelizaveta stood beside him with a glowing sweet smile as if she was the happiest woman in the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Sometimes he thinks of Yelizaveta when he sees her daughter, but the shadow of happiness also faded in his memory after she became sickly. "But nonetheless, Ivan is a very good young man; I can only hope he won't be as unlucky as his sister. This is the way of the world. What can we do?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Is Ivan's older sister called Anya?" Wang Yao recalled the name.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Belyaev looked at Wang Yao's dark eyes with surprise: "He told you about his older sister? He never tells others about his family, even Tolys doesn't know any details."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ah," Wang Yao made a flattered expression, "Maybe it's just mentioned by accident."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Hah," Belyaev smiled kindly, "It must be that he has really become friends with you. While it isn't exactly something to boast about, It's certainly rare. Maybe it's time you stop calling him Ivan and call him Vanya instead."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Maybe it's because I'm a foreigner," Wang Yao buried his head in his lesson plan, "People always need to let off their troubles somewhere. I'd only stay here in the Soviet Union for three years, maybe that's all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao returned to silence and corrected a spelling mistake he made.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Belyaev stopped looking out of the window and instead stared blankly at the Chinese man in front of him. In reality he's never paid attention to Wang Yao's appearance before; it was only at this moment that he saw his hair was so black. It made his heart a little melancholic, because in his mind, black haired people always played an unforgiving role on his life- always trampled him under their feet. The Chinese, however, was a mild-tempered and interesting young man; it made him let down his guard and be able to talk truthfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">China? The word was too unfamiliar to him. He didn't even care where Wang Yao came from, but from that moment on, he began to hope, hope for a different future—in all aspects.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao wasn't nervous about teaching lectures. After all, he has been teaching at the SouthWest Associated University for more than a year then, and he was teaching "Principles of Machinery" anyway. After familiarizing with the various Russian technical terms, he felt that he should be able to do the job well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao's first class went well. Judging from the expressions of the students, everyone could understand his German-accented Russian. Although he felt that he had devoted more than enough love to the Soviet Union, he still failed to turn his uvular consonant to an alveolar one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. uvular consonant is the r trill in German and French, etc.; alveolar consonant is the r trill in Russian and Spanish, etc.]</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">During the break Nikolai Viktorovich Proschenko, who sat in the second row, probed Ivan in front of him with a pen: "Hey, Ivan, can you go sit behind me? You're too tall you blocked the blackboard, and the seat behind is empty. My waist's gonna break after sitting up straight for a whole class!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan nodded, packed his books and stood up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Nikolai stretched and shrugged his shoulders to the student next to him: "What's so interesting about mechanics class? Why's the teacher smiling all the time? Oh my goodness! He's been smiling all the way though! I can't take it anymore, I've never seen something more stupid than this."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Class resumes!" Wang Yao stepped up the teaching deck and clapped his hands, "Mr.Braginsky, is there something wrong?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Nothing." Ivan sat down with a dark expression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Generally speaking, Belyaev was very satisfied with Wang Yao's teaching. He had quite the demeanor of a teacher despite being only two years older than his students. The pace of lessons were well grasped and the speech was clear and logical. After class, Wang Yao answered several students' questions and made an after-class summary with Belyaev. As he walked out of the teaching building, he checked his watch and decided to drop his books back in the dormitory before going to eat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Are you back already?" Wang Yao heard the sound of water running in the bathroom as soon as he entered the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">There was no answer from inside. Wang Yao assumed he didn't hear him and resumed his own tasks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan didn't expect Wang Yao to be back for lunch break. After hesitating for a while, he opened the door and walked out as naturally as possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What happened with you?" Wang Yao looked at the the corner of his lips, startled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What happened with me?" Ivan only repeated the other's words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"The corner of your lips is scratched and a little swollen, and your nose is dripping blood." Wang Yao pointed at his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Nothing," Ivan sat down on the bed and dabbed his nose with a handkerchief. "Um, I probably hit a wall."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao didn't try to make further inquiries about his incoherent lie, and simply went downstairs to find some rubbing alcohol. "Should we go to the hospital?" He asked, when he remerged from the stairs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan still felt the prickly pain when he dabbed the cotton with alcohol to his lips. Wang Yao supported the back of his head and told him to relax: "Is there merbromin or gentian violet in the dormitory?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan shook his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Don't move, let me see if the bleeding stopped." Wang Yao straightened Ivan's head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The state of staring at each other made Ivan feel somewhat uncomfortable: "I think it stopped, let's go eat."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao held down his shoulder and took the blood-stained handkerchief from his hand: "Don't hurry, it'll bleed again if you keep moving around! Just sit for a while, I'll wait for you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Maybe not going to the hospital was really not a good choice. At the moment, Tolys was exactly at the hospital with the real victim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It took a week for Wang Yao to finally see him again in class- poor Nikolai- and his still swollen face. As for Tolys, he looked at Ivan with a guilty conscience, then at Nikolai, and then, extremely carefully, at Wang Yao.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao looked at Tolys's face, which can hold no secrets. He sighed, annoyed and amused at the same time, and opened the lecture notes for the second class.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The forever smiling Mr. Wang finally stopped smiling in the third class. Most of the oblivious students breathed a sigh of relief. After all, not everyone can bear this endlessly smile! Even though Mr. Wang's smile was oriental-styled that held a kind of exotic beauty, everyone still hoped that the teachers won't smile while teaching their lectures- anything for that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">But classmate Ivan Ivanovich Braginsky was the one person that looked unhappy; his expression became gloomy after the first break. Tolys looked around him and found nothing wrong: "Ivan, what's the matter with you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Nothing." Ivan tapped his notebook with a pen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Generally speaking, if Ivan says "nothing", then there must be something!</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Tolys glanced about him for a second time, alarmed, but it seemed that there was really nothing unusual except for a few people asking questions around Wang Yao.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You are such a moody person! Ivan!" Tolys grasped his chest dramatically, "Speak your mind a tad bit clearer, if you please? Something's off, judging from your expression- really, if you continue to be like this, my heart will quite literally stop beating."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Tolys also became gloomy. He failed to decipher Ivan's thoughts, but Ivan's own thoughts were very simple. This time it was not Nikolai who angered him, but a certain someone else!</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The bastard! He can hear his gentle speaking tone from the third row! It's not just the tone either- even his expression is ticking him off!</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">After class, Wang Yao found that Ivan seemed to be waiting for him; such was indeed the case. As soon as he walked out of the school building, Ivan crossed his arms to his chest and said with a serious expression: "Why are you talking to him?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"With classmate Nikolai?" Wang Yao guessed what he was going at.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">What! You already started calling him Nikolai! Ivan's face was nearly contorted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I don't allow you to talk to him."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The way Ivan behaved like an overprotective parent made Wang Yao laugh heartily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan was furious, but he couldn't really greet Wang Yao's face with his fist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Mm-hmm, don't explain." Wang Yao gestured at Ivan to stop just as he was beginning to speak, "First of all, I know all your glorious deeds. Don't ask who betrayed you; I guessed that you liked cherry cakes too, didn't I? I have this kind of wisdom." Wang Yao looked at Ivan's rigid face and had to stop to laugh some more, "Cough- Ivan, why are you like a little child? —he had to pause again for a breath— why must you be like a little child?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan turned his head to the side angrily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao finally stopped laughing, and started tugging at Ivan's arm: "Well, Comrade Ivan, let me hear your genius opinion. Tell me what I should do."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"If you say another word to him, I will beat him up again!" Ivan said genuinely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"But, Ivan," Wang Yao dragged him forward: "A proletariat policy that has no way out isn't a real proletariat policy."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"......"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'll give you some time to repent your silly Chauvinism, understood?" Wang Yao towed the future armoured company commander; he was being cranky, and thus as heavy as a tank.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"......"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Walk quicker," Wang Yao increased his strength, "or I <em>will</em> give you extra homework."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">But Wang Yao didn't fulfill this promise. The next day, they happened to run into Nikolai when they went to the library- or rather, Nikolai was sitting there waiting for them. Nikolai even took the initiative to greet Ivan, and didn't get angry when the other didn't reply him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What did you do to him?!" Ivan couldn't fathom enough courage to face such a Nikolai.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I cast a spell on him." Wang Yao said in German, with a lowered voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh god, you two are both idiots!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao paid attention to nothing around him as soon as he opened the books. It wasn't until he went to the bookshelf and raised his hand to reach for a <em>"Basics of Radio"</em> on the top of the bookshelf that he realized Ivan was standing behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Which one do you want?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"That one."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"This?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No, the one from the other publisher- one more to the left, Vanya."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan felt his hand pausing for a second, and said, "This one, then?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Yes, thanks."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Here." Ivan handed the book to Wang Yao from behind his back without turning around, "I wanna stay a little more, you can go."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">After the footsteps disappeared, Ivan hastily pressed his hot forehead against the shelves of communication engineering books. There's nothing strange with someone from the from the armoured military browsing in front of the communication engineering bookshelf with no particular goal. Totally nothing strange here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[Footnotes]</span>
</p><ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Old Ivan's character is somewhat based off of And Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov. His uncertainty and indecisiveness in the civil war made him quite rejected in his career amidst the Great Purges.</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Vanya is a diminutive of Ivan.</span></li>
</ul><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. I wonder if Yao has a diminutive- I mean, it's already short enough lol]</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[another tn. (why do I have so much to say today?) Has anyone read And Quiet Flows the Don? I've known about it for a while and always wanted to read it but never got around to it because of covid and procrastination...]</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>[tn. GUESS WHAT the update's finally not late for once!!!<br/>Ivan getting jelly and defensive and childish is the best thing ever- I was smiling so hard all the way through translating this chapter (X<br/>Also, I lowkey stan Professor Belyaev. Such a nice old man.<br/>Lastly I know 3 comments are really not a lot but I'm so happy! This fic is amazing, I promise, and I'm really happy more people got to read it through the translations! &lt;33<br/>As always, stay safe and healthy!]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the late update, enjoy &gt;&lt;</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">If there's anything that every single citizen of the USSR adored, it must be summer! What could be more exciting than twenty hours of sun bathing per day? Wang Yao was still a little uncomfortable with the polar day— the never-setting sun made him mentally exhausted— but The Ivans were as enlivened as a group of hunting dogs on a turtledoves hunt. We call this group "The Ivans" because Ivan was indeed included in it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Although he couldn't sleep well, Wang Yao was content, especially after he received the test results for the term: "I might be able to graduate early," he sighed with relief, "Maybe I won't need three years— I might be able to complete the thesis and the oral defense in two and a half!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You dedicated the summer vacation entirely to study, didn't you." Ivan stared with dissatisfaction at his roommate, who was studying for twelve hours per day. This time he packed his luggage and seemed to be leaving school.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Are you going back to Moscow this time?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Moscow?" Ivan made a bewildered expression, "I'm not going to waste the two precious summer months somewhere as crowded and noisy as Moscow. I'm going to the villa in the country, it's a fantastic place."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">In the USSR, almost every family would have a "villa" in the suburbs, but the concept of it was different from other places in Europe; it was more like a country cottage to spend the holidays in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ivan, don't you read the news? Finland was at war with you at the beginning of this year! It isn't far away from Finland here, is it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"The war's over, and the scale should be small- we didn't even suspend classes. Don't condemn me with your Chinese talk of parental devotion*! This time it's specifically requested by my parents. There should be someone to look after the vegetable garden there, after all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. Parental devotion aka filial piety or 孝道- it's a distinctively chinese concept that a son or daughter should be submissive and supportive to their parents (no matter what kind of people they are). Here, Yao is probably hinting his dismay at Ivan not spending time with his family because of the grudge between him and his father.]</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh, well, I wish you a pleasant summer vacation then...meanwhile I'll need to add one more layer of curtain to the window for a peaceful sleep."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Hey! I say!" Ivan crossed his legs over his luggage to sit on it, "Why don't you come to my place? I can cook, it's much better than the canteen!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Don't refuse, you take the books with you just as well! It's beside Zelenograd, you must know what a beautiful place it is! And my house isn't a дача, it's a коттедж."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao has seen a lot of дачи [tn. dachas] around Moscow, which are usually small wooden houses. Wang Yao hasn't noticed any коттеджи [tn. cottages] yet- maybe it's closer to a real villa? But for Wang Yao, who was born in Nanking, it was not much of a tempting factor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. Yao's family was probably quite wealthy and of high status (to be able to send him abroad).]</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"In exchange," Ivan pressed on, "You can choose a Russian technical book and I'll help you translate it into German?"</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I don't need to translate Russian into German, classmate Ivan, what I need is to translate Russian into Chinese."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I can help you, especially with Russian- yeah! I can teach you Russian!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"But I really don't have the time!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Impossible! Do you still think you can find your mentor? He's already ran away to the countryside! You won't find a single foolish soul that stays in school in the summer, I promise you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I really have to stay here and study."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Don't refuse me," Ivan suddenly looked dejected, "You'd be lonely here by yourself."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's obviously yourself who's afraid of loneliness." Wang Yao bent down, smiling, "You don't want to go home and had to drag me with you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I have a whole room of books! I promise you it'll be worth it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao didn't know if he would have time to process his whole room of books, but it seemed like that he had no choice but to accept the passionate offer. Zelenograd was more than fifty versts away from Leningrad and Ivan's villa was at the far end end of it, so after arriving in Zelenograd, the two had to transfer vehicles with all their luggages. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">After a short rest, the tiresome journey continued. Wang Yao didn't even bother to admire the breathtaking sceneries and simply leaned on the window and slept. Ivan didn't quite understand why one could be so indifferent to travelling. He didn't know that Wang Yao had walked too many places; travelling was the most familiar lifestyle to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The day was as long as the nights in February.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">When Wang Yao got out of the bus with a yawn, the sun was still shining in mid-sky, despite the time being five o'clock in the afternoon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"'m hungry."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"We'll go to my neighbor's house for dinner after we place our luggage."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's my father's good friend, he lives about ten minutes away from our house; I told them that you're coming. Let's go, hurry!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao, still feeling dizzy, tugged at his luggage and tried his best to keep up with Ivan's pace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">He had to admit that the neighbourhood was beautiful. Although it takes a long time to reach them, these small blue or brown houses were exquisite and the gardens were all neatly tended to. Ivan's house was brown; half an hour away from the station, the drowsiness of the journey was finally blown away by the breeze of the countryside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Look, here it is." Ivan pointed to the front, "Ah! Natasha! Hey, Natasha!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">At the entrance of the small yard sat a girl, in middle school perhaps, with a delicate face and silken blond hair. "Brother! Brother! You're finally here!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan threw down the luggage and picked up the girl, who threw herself into his arms: "How long have you been here? You've been waiting for a long time, huh?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Are you my brother's friend he told us about?" The little girl wrapped her arms around Ivan's neck and curiously observed the foreigner in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Hello, I'm Yao Wang, from China."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"That's Natalya Petrovna Arlovskaya." Ivan chipped in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"What kind of introduction is that!" Natalya stretched out her hand, "Hello, you can call me Natalya. I go to school in the Affiliated Middle School of the Leningrad Music Conservatory. I'm learning the cello... do you know how to play the cello?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'm sorry, I don't know how to play it." Wang Yao took her hand and, to humour the little girl, shook it like he would to an adult.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's impolite of you to stare at him so much." Ivan smiled and took Natalya's hand, "Did your mother ask you to pick us up? Thanks so much, my parents also told me to say hello for them. Come, come in- we still have to change, don't we?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">That being said, it was the first time Natalya saw a Chinese person, and she still couldn't help but snuck glances at him secretly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Brother, should I just call him Yao Wang? What's his last name? Shouldn't I call him by that?" Natalya couldn't help asking Ivan after Wang Yao was carrying his luggage to the inner room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"His surname is Wang."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Wang?" Natalya looked incredulous. "Just one syllable?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Chinese names are very short, and their last name is placed before the first name, so they usually go by their full name."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Right...just two syllables, it can't be shortened anyway." Natalya muttered to herself, "Well, that's weird. Does his name have any meanings?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan tried to remember: "I think it means light, or something."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. yao, 耀: shine, brightness, honour]</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It's hard to understand. He should give himself a Russian name, like Anatoly."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You can go and ask him if he wants to— if he does, I can lend him my last name." Ivan laughed brightly and patted Natalya on the head, "but now I have to go fetch him for dinner, and later I'll tell you interesting stories from our university."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The dinner was more formal than Wang Yao had expected. The Arlovsky family treated their two guests with great hospitality, and after the food Natalya and Ivan performed Davydov's romance together. Natalya's father was also a Mechanical Engineering professor, and was instantly drawn to Wang Yao when he heard that he was from Stuttgart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Dad! Daddy! I wanna talk to him! You can talk about your boring stuff later."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">As the only child, Natalya was obviously the princess of the family, so old Peter shrugged and gave Wang Yao up to his daughter. Wang Yao wondered about what this little girl wanted to talk to him, but he didn't expect to be dragged into a discreet corner: "I need to ask— does Ivan have a lover in Leningrad?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The abrupt question caught Wang Yao off guard: "Why are you asking?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Ah! Stupid dense Anatoly! Are you actually dense or pretending to be?" Natalya crossed her arms angrily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I don't think he has one?" Wang Yao didn't want to get a "dense" label.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"That's good!" Natalya breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm destined to marry brother Ivan! No one can separate us!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. The reason Natalya keeps referring to Ivan as "brother" is because in Chinese culture, you would call an older family friend "older brother/sister" and you can address literally any random person of the appropriate age as "aunt", "grandpa", "little sister", etc. You don't have to be related to that person. ]</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">No one's separating you, if Ivan wants you in the first place? Looking at the fifteen-year-old girl in front of him, Wang Yao suppressed a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Anatoly, I beg you!" Natalya took Wang Yao's hand, "If there's a girl in school who fancies him, please write to me! I'll give you the address of my school! "</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao nodded, although a little puzzled- who's Anatoly?</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">On the way back, Wang Yao asked Ivan half-jokingly: "Do you have a lover?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Why ask?" Ivan looked at him in surprise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Natalya's too concerned. Although I've never seen you with a girl, I still feel like it's worth asking- I don't want to disappoint her."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Oh." Ivan's tone became coldly indifferent, "Speaking of which, are you married?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan had never seen Wang Yao's ring, but it seems that the Orientals didn't necessarily wear a ring when they get married.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Me?" Wang Yao pointed at himself, "Did Natalya express concern for me, too?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">For some reason, this joke didn't lighten the mood. Instead, Ivan look at him quite seriously: "Does that mean you don't want to answer?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. Sorry this isn't even related but I just had a thought- technically in this time era, if Yao's family was very conservative, he could've very well had concubines (X]</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Wang Yao didn't understand why he was serious all of a sudden: "I'm not married, why?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You're twenty-six years old- isn't your lover worried?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I don't have a lover!" Wang Yao felt that he was being interrogated for no reason.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You don't have a lover?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I don't have a lover!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Are you sure?" Ivan took a step in front of Wang Yao, blocking him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I'm sure."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Not in Germany, nor in China?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Not in Germany, not in China, nor in the Soviet Union, Comrade Ivan."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"That's so strange!" Ivan crossed his arms over his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Wh-what's so strange about it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"You don't even have a lover."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"But you don't have a lover either?" Wang Yao spread out his hands and looked—quite amusingly— at Ivan's expression freezing on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Look into my eyes."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Why?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Nothing...."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan tried to gain some insight into the lies of the other man, but failed in the confrontation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Of course, he didn't gain much insight either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">In the bright night, Ivan stared into Wang Yao's dark eyes, and only thought that it was too dark to see through.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">After returning to their brown house, Wang Yao carried his luggage down from the bedroom upstairs: "I thought about it and I think you should live upstairs. I'll be staying up late reading, and I'll bother you walking around. Can I sleep in the study?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It was indeed a big house, so big that Wang Yao was almost reminded of his home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"The windows in the study are big and you're gonna have trouble sleeping- you can sleep in my sister's room. It's okay, she almost never lived in it." Ivan helped him move the things down, "It's eleven o'clock already. Are you not sleeping?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"I slept in the bus for the whole afternoon, it doesn't hurt to read for a bit right now." Anya's bedroom was next to the study. Wang Yao took out his book after he finished organizing his clothes. "Are you not sleeping as well?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan followed him instead of going upstairs: "I can't sleep."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan paced back and forth around the study, and finally brought a chair and sat down opposite to Wang Yao. The older man paused in his writing: "Did you not stare at me enough?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"No, I'm just looking at you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">'Look as much as you want', Wang Yao's expression said, and with that, buried himself back into the book. Ivan finally grew bored of staring at him after a while, and went to read the books piled up in the corner of the table; Unfortunately, none fit his appetite. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Suddenly getting an idea, he opened the drawer and took out a notebook. After tearing off the first few pages which were already filled with writings, he spread it out on the writing desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">What should I do? Ivan unscrewed a pen- maybe I could try to write a diary for these couple of days, like Natasha's doing, but not for homework. I'm going to use it to kill time, and write whatever my thoughts take me to. That's it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan wrote the first line of words:</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">The weather today was fantastic, better than any summers before this one, but sadly for him, the Chinese slept in the car for three hours straight! Three hours! So now he's as energetic as an owl, and is flipping the book noisily. He's a strange person indeed! There's an eighty years old soul hiding in his twenty years old body, I promise you, and his mind is stuffed with nothing but connecting rods, gears, mechanical drawings and things like that. He doesn't care about the green field, he doesn't care about the blue sky, and nor does he care about my *piano playing(1). He's either sleeping in the car or talking about machines with Uncle Peter!</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">But I couldn't write that I dislike him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan paused, because this pen hasn't been used for about a year; if he wants to continue writing, he has to find a bottle of ink. But that was not difficult. There's a bottle right in front of Yao, isn't there? </span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">It only takes half a minute to fill a pen, but what's the hurry? After all, he isn't the Chinese man; he has time. So he unscrewed the pen slowly, opened the cap of the ink bottle slowly, and squeezed slowly, once after another; nevertheless, the ink was refilled within a minute.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan sighed and continued writing:</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">I had to refill the ink just now. During this time, I made three very loud noises. The loudest one was when I put the ink bottle down. To be honest, if anyone does it to me, I'll be awakened from my dream! But Yao, he wasn't affected at all! He didn't even raise his eyes! Fearsome Chinese! Oh, my goodness, I can't believe I tried to stare at him today! Trying to fish out his secrets- I was really daydreaming!</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">But if he asked me a question, I answer honestly. And that's not even the worse thing! He can always guess my thoughts from my expression! So, I think, he knows everything in my mind, from the cherry cake to every single other things, even my feelings. </span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">But what about him? To be honest I don't know anything. I can't see anything from his face, from his eyes. I don't know if he has a lover, or emotions. Unless he tells them to me himself, I really don't know a thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">He's truly fearsome, I want to emphasize that again here, although his dark eyes are unusually beautiful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">After finished writing this sentence, Ivan hesitated for a moment, and crossed it off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"Would you like tea?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan was startled by Wang Yao's sudden question. He hastily closed his notebook: "Yeah, what's the matter? Aren't you reading anymore?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"But there doesn't seem to be hot water- you should go take a bath first and come have tea when you're back."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan found a drawer to lock his diary in: "Okay, I'll be here in a while."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">When Ivan returned to the room, Wang Yao was standing in front of the window holding a hot cup of tea: "I never thought I would get to watch the sunset at one o'clock in the morning."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan took the tea which Wang Yao handed to him, and looked outside the window. He was greeted with the familiar fences, flowers, shrubs, and fields. Occasionally, some wild ducks flew across the low sky, very quietly, with the afterglow of the sinking sun on their wings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"It'd be great if every single day was this long." Wang Yao looked into Ivan's eyes and smiled. "Well, I'm going to take the bath," He said, after a while.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Ivan, who was left in front of the window, took a sip of his tea, and swallowed the strange taste of flowers mixed with bitterness down his throat. Thus he walked back to the desk, opened the drawer, took out his notebook, and wrote:</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">"And was it his destined part /</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Only one moment in his life /</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">To be close to your heart?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[Footnotes]</span>
</p><ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Anatoly, from Greek Ανατολιος (Anatolios), meaning "sunrise".</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Natasha is the diminutive of Natalya.</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">The last 3 lines are quoted from Turgenev's poem, "The Flower".</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">[tn. (1) </span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">In the original version, the author wrote "violin" instead of "piano"; but in my research the most (and almost only) popular romance by Davydov is for cello and piano. (Plus cello and violin duo is very rare...) therefore I took the liberty to change it to Piano.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-author-58488170">Anyway, here's the romance if you want to take a listen! It's really beautiful. </span> <a href="https://youtu.be/_7tiPiRafgM">https://youtu.be/_7tiPiRafgM</a> <span class="ql-author-58488170">]</span></p><p> </p><p>4/06/2021 update: I fixed some spelling errors, sorry for the inconvenience &gt;&lt;</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Again, sorry for the late update! I've been really stuffed with work lately ;;;</p><p>How are you guys? I'm getting spring break soon,, at least...<br/>This chapter feels really nostalgic for some reason xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Wang Yao slept well that night. The night in the suburbs was so quiet that he didn't dream at all. The clock was already pointing to eight o'clock when he woke up; he walked to the window, drew back the curtains, and the blinding light came rushing in all at once.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Mm...!" Wang Yao opened the window and took a deep breath of the morning air. The faint smell of summer grass was addictive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Breakfast is ready!" Someone appeared in the garden all of a sudden, "Come down and eat!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Wang Yao, however, was in no hurry. He leaned on his elbows, smiling, and looked at Ivan in the garden: "Was it you who turned off my alarm clock?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Going to bed at one and getting up at six, Yao, that's why you can't grow taller."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"What about Tolys? He sleeps ten hours a day to be only as tall as me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"His height was all converted into his depth of thought!" Ivan made an exaggerated gesture, "His bolshevik conscience is this deep!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">That's right, Wang Yao laughed inwardly: So you're tall because you sleep long, think little, and have shallow thoughts- poor Comrade Ivan, you should take a logistics course next semester!</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Unaware of Wang Yao's secret mockery, Ivan happily ran from the garden back to the kitchen, washed his hands, and presented his masterpiece to the black-haired man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Oh! This is impressive!" Wang Yao looked at the borscht soup in front of him, "The soup looks quite good- did you bake the bread too?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"I bought that, but that's not important! You try the soup first."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Wang Yao sipped a spoonful: "It's delicious."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"It's great that you like it," Ivan served himself a bowl and sat down, "Now I have the initiative to negotiate with you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"What do you wanna talk to me about, Mr. Top Hat Capitalist? Are you going to ask me to finish your summer homework for you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"That's a pretty good idea, but unfortunately I don't have any summer homework." Ivan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "But I suppose I can assign a homework to you, assistant professor Wang."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"What kind of homework?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Two hours a day," Ivan raised two fingers up, "You have to spare two hours a day for me to arrange your activities, or you'll become a study machine. It's summer vacation! I can't let you waste her."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"......"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"What are you thinking about?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"I'm thinking about how to refuse your childish request."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Allow me to make a heated price-bargaining?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Then I'll start shouting the price from four hours!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Okay, fine, two hours, Mr.Braginsky, give me back the borscht." Wang Yao compromised, "By the way cut a piece of bread please, the bread tastes good too."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Of course it does! I got up early and went to the market to buy fresh red cabbage and bread that just came out of the oven." Ivan was proud of his cooking skills.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Wang Yao saw that there was indeed a pile of red cabbage in the kitchen. "You bought that much?!" He exclaimed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Yeah, well, we still need to save some for lunch and dinner."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Borscht for lunch and dinner too?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Yes?" Ivan looked at Wang Yao, baffled, not quite seeing what was wrong with it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Do you... know any other dishes besides borscht soup?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"......"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"......"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Wang Yao lowered his head, stared at the soup in his bowl, and felt that his price of two hours was really too high.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">He laughed dryly: "I'll make lunch."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Wang Yao briefly looked around the kitchen and scribbled a list to Ivan. The packed writing on the list gave him a bad gut feeling: "What does this check marked box mean?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"The check marked ones are the ingredients that are necessities. For the other things on the list, if the symbol in front of the ingredients is the same, then they're the materials for the same dish; if you can't buy one of them, you don't need to buy the others in the set either."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"What does this solid scribbled symbol mean again?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"That's a particularly good dish, if you can't find all the ingredients, you might consider to try harder." Wang Yao pointed to the small letters below the list, "The meanings of the symbols are all noted here so you can read them as you go."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"......" Ivan frowned, "Do Chinese people all live through this much trouble?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"No, not at all," Wang Yao replied sincerely, "In all honestly I got the bad habit from Germany- blame it on the Germans."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Ivan held his little slip of note to the market and felt like a schoolboy cheating in an exam. He studied and compared the various ingredients as if doing a permutation question. So this is Chinese cuisine? Oh God, how much energy did the Chinese people sacrifice for their meals!</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">The owner of the grocery store read the note in Ivan's hand and sighed heartily: "Young man, your wife is a lady to fear. What does this symbol mean?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"This symbol means that these three spices can be substituted for each other. Do you have any one of them? If you have none I'll get this one instead, yes, the one marked with an asterisk. Not a five-pointed star, a four-pointed star! And pay attention to the weight, it's marked differently."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Ivan returned from the market and immediately collapsed on the sofa: "You must go with me next time! I can't stand it anymore!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Does the time spent on grocery shopping count in those two hours?" Wang Yao asked from the kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"......Fine!" Ivan lay on the sofa with his eyes closed and gave up on arguing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">By the time Wang Yao called him, Ivan had already fallen asleep on the couch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Get up, it's time to eat."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Ivan sat up from the sofa and rubbed his eyes. He did smell an aroma that he had never known before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Oh! What's this?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"The fish you bought."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"It's fish?!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Well, it would taste better if it was a freshwater fish."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Ivan savoured it: "I didn't know fish can taste like this."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Can you get used to it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"It's wonderful!" Ivan took a bite of the vegetables next to the fish in amazement, "I didn't know you can cook so well."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"I'm not the kind of spoiled rich son who can't identify a carrot next to a cabbage as you thought— I've had a fair share of life experience from studying in Germany for such a long time." Wang Yao recalled the innumerous kinds of "Eisbein"s in Germany and couldn't help but let out a sigh, "But you can go ahead and make soup for dinner."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"No, I never want to eat soup again! I'd rather go shop for vegetables every single day!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"Frankly, I can't cook nicely at all; if you want to eat actual cuisine, you have to go to China in person." Wang Yao stood up and untied his apron, "The kitchen is a bit oily, let's clean it together."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">"No! You can go study, I can't waste your precious two hours on such a small thing."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Wang Yao returned to the study and opened the dictionary and notebook. Suddenly a gust of wind came rushing in and blew over the pages in front of him. Between the streaming sunlight and the cool shade, Wang Yao felt a weariness he had never felt before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">That's not good...should I have stayed in school after all? Just like the three years in Germany...</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">The words on the page became blurry, and Wang Yao hastily rubbed his face, wondering if the peaceful scenery in the countryside had weakened his will, or if he had become sentimental because he tasted a dish from his home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">But what more can I do?</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Wang Yao buried his head, rearranged his books and picked up his pen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Ivan came knocking on the door when evening approached. "Although it's still borscht, it's indeed time to eat again."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Ah, thanks- you came just in time! Can you come over and help me with this?" Wang Yao closed the dictionary.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Ivan walked over and glanced at the phrase in the book: "Oh, this is the preposition, you see here, it is used in conjunction with 'o'- that's why the way you translated it is wrong. Here it expresses the content and the meaning. This word is a technical term, maybe it's not in this dictionary you're using right now."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao was holding a Russian to German dictionary in his hand, and was evidently suffering under the inter-translation of three languages: "The declensions are too complicated for my two years of study to be sufficient!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "That's normal, even Natasha can't distinguish all the declensions yet."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-author-58488170">[</span> <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">tn. Take this with a grain of salt- neither the original author nor I are fluent in Russian. If there are any inaccuracies </span> <em class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">please</em> <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> point it out in the comments! Thank you!]</span></p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao sighed: "I can't help but want to complain- If all these books were in Chinese, I surely would've been able to finish all my thesis defenses in two years."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Are you just that eager to leave the Soviet Union?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Well, no, it's just that I find Russian too difficult, and it's even harder to understand with the courses... To be honest, if I had studied mechanics here instead of Germany, I might've had a hard time graduating at all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "I still think that you find Russian difficult because you don't love the Soviet Union enough yet."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "You still remember what that bus driver said? I think I already love the USSR very much, but I still can't pronounce the p sound- and that has nothing to do with love at the first place!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Well, you see," Ivan grabbed a chair and sat down, "the big difference between German and Russian is that we trill the tip of our tongues, so hurry up and forget about your mouthwashing exercises! You have to put your tongue here," Ivan opened his mouth and pointed to his upper gums, just behind his teeth, "Yes, a little further back."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Leh!" Wang Yao spat out a sound with difficulty, still no trill coming out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "No, no, like this," Ivan demonstrated again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Dleh!" Wang Yao shook his head: "Forget it- I can't pronounce the 'r' sound like you did, I have to do the "d" sound first."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "How can you not?" Ivan was perplexed that people couldn't pronounce this sound naturally: "Don't be so nervous, you have to relax."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "I'm relaxed- it just doesn't work because we don't have this sound in Chinese."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "No, you're not!" Ivan cupped Wang Yao's face in his hands, "You have to learn to relax!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "...um?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao froze for a moment and broke away from Ivan's hand, "I, well, I'll practice some more by myself."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Ivan also seemed to sense the awkward air: "Uh, yeah, this can't be rushed, you do that, I'll go serve the soup first."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao touched his own face, feeling that he had slightly overreacted. Just at that moment, he heard the sound of metal utensils falling to the floor in the kitchen, and after a brief moment of silence, something suspiciously like a porcelain plate also fell with a muffled noise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao closed his book and laughed. Then, he stifled his laughter (with much effort), stacked the books and descended to the kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Ivan was squatting on the floor to clean up the mess with his back to the door. He picked up pieces of broken porcelain here and there and swept the floor, panicked, without noticing the other man's presence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Watch your hands."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Ivan was startled: "I, um, wait! I'll bring out the soup immediately."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "I'll do it," Wang Yao sidled into the kitchen and picked up the pot: "By the way, take the plates out after you finish cleaning it up."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> At dinner, eating the same soup, Ivan said much less- although he wasn't one to speak a lot in the first place. Wang Yao's composure didn't seem to change, and was striking up conversations about irrelevant topics as per usual. Ivan snuck glances at the other man, and was greatly relieved that everything looked normal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Do you want to go for a walk after dinner?" Wang Yao put down his spoon and stood up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Oh," Ivan lifted his head, "Sure."</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Years and years later, this landscape would not change one bit from this old and forlorn era, beautiful to the point of eternity, as if time forgot to flow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> The two men, still in their vibrant youth, do not realize this fact. They only walked along the road made of broken sand, towards the horizon in the distance, outlined by the arbors. They only paid attention to the wild flowers around them, letting the hems of their clothes sweep over them; they only paid attention to the waves in the distance, as if it was the only sound the world needed at the moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao did not speak, and Ivan did not dare to speak. They walked towards the direction the wind was blowing, each indulged in their own thoughts.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Hey, look, someone's coming!" The face of a child suddenly appeared from behind the bush.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "That's great, someone's coming." A few more kids popped up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Can you help us?" One of the oldest children came forward: "This is our summer assignment, can you help us hang it on the tree?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "What's this?" Wang Yao looked at the child handing over a strange box made of birch bark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "It's a birdhouse where the birds can take shelter in winter." A shorter boy next to him was eager to answer the foreigner's question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Sure," Ivan took the birdhouse, assuming that the children weren't directing the request to Wang Yao: "Won't you ask your father to help you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Maybe? If we don't get into a war with Finland this year." The older child said with a disdainful expression, "We're from the naval base, a lotta warships are out this year, and submarines, it's a lot more fun than nailing a birdhouse to a tree! My dad is a captain."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> A captain? Ivan looked up at the tree in front of him, "Where do you want to nail it on?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "There!" The children yelled, pointing to one of the branches.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> It was the most common kind of tree around Zelenograd, and Ivan could climb it as well as if he had walked into his own house. Once he had climbed onto a comfortable position, he took the nail out and nailed it into the branch. The bark of the tree seeped a pale milky pulp that sticked to the exterior of the birch birdhouse.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> The children cheered; Ivan looked down from the tree and waved at them. The scene was so comfortingly familiar, until the Chinese man raised his head- his face was unfamiliar, nowhere to be found in his memory. Because of that, he hesitated, not having enough courage to invite the other onto the tree, no matter how much he wanted to do so.</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Ivan, realising that such a memory would be different from the memories of his childhood, climbed up the branch and stood on it for a long time. The children had enough fun; they scattered off, eager to find the next thing to play with. He then looked to the ground from the tree, and speculated if </span> <em class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">he</em> <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> had the intention of climbing up.</span></p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao only looked at him quietly. He looked at him as the wind blew up his hair and covered his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> How beautiful the scenery is here! Yao! Ivan shouted to him in his heart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> What are you afraid of? What am I afraid of?</span>
</p><p class="ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "What are you thinking about?" At last, Ivan jumped down and brushed the dust off his pants.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "I was wondering if your father also helped you nail the birdhouses onto the tree like this."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Yeah, my family still has one in the yard."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao pulled Ivan to sit down on the grass, and didn't let go of his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Yao?" Ivan's hand slightly trembled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> "Well," Wang Yao lowered his head and closed his eyes, "Sit with me for a while. I...I'm just a little homesick, that's all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Ivan took his hand, knowing that they are safely buried the grass, where no one could see them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12"> Wang Yao sighed heavily. "I might be far less determined than I thought...after all." He said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">[Footnotes]</span>
</p><ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">The USSR invaded Vyborg in the Winter War, 1940. Both Vyborg and Zelenograd were cities near Leningrad. The timeline right now is around June, just before the war started.</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p class="ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Translator's note:</span>
</p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Long time no see (?) thank you for waiting patiently for the update! </span>
</p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">I had a thought about "homesickness" while translating that part. In Chinese, the verb for missing home is 思乡, which literally translates to "thinking of home"; the noun for homesickness is 乡愁, lit. Home-melancholy. </span>
</p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170"><span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">But the English word "homesickness" is very impactful...? Once you notice it. Instead of subtle literary expressions of "I'm thinking of home" and "I'm melancholic for home", we say, I'm physically ill for my home. I cannot live without it, and I am </span> <em class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">sick- </em> <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">like a tree without soil. Isn't that such a powerful way to put it?</span></p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Also, since it's June for Ivan and Yao, I have a piano piece to recommend to you! <a href="https://youtu.be/3xLQW5rm92s">Tchaikovsky's June- Barcarolle</a> I think it describes the sweet melancholy of this chapter perfectly.</span>
</p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170"> </p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170 ql-size-12">Finally- sorry for putting you through a long rant- my friend recently made an APH China appreciation server!!</span>
</p><p class="ql-text-indent-1 ql-long-58488170">
  <span class="ql-author-58488170">Here you can:</span>
</p><ul>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Simp for Yao shamelessly</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Talk about all the smexy ships </span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">Talk about the Chinese language and culture w/ native speaker</span></li>
<li class=""><span class="ql-author-58488170">And make friends with wonderful talented people from around the world!</span></li>
</ul><p>
  <a href="https://discord.gg/g4S3csAzf2">Click here to join~</a>
</p><p> </p><p>4/25/2021 update:</p><p>I was reading through this chapter again and holy sht there were so many inaccuracies and typos in my translation &gt;&lt; they’re fixed now, sorry...! I’ll probably edit and revise the chapters once I reach around the midpoint of the story. I feel like I have more experience with translating naturally now.</p><p>Here’s another thing that I want to point out in translator’s notes!</p><p>Have you noticed that Yao’s tone became less polite as he and Ivan’s relationship progresses? That’s because in Chinese culture, the closer you are to someone, the less polite you need to be. For example I constantly say things like “thank you” and “would you please” to my english-speaking friends, but if I was talking to a Chinese friend in China, I would probably not say them as much, if not at all. </p><p>It’s not because I don’t respect them, on the contrary, if I keep saying thank-you my Chinese friend would probably be offended and think I don’t treat them as a real friend (X</p>
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